The Meaning of Family
by Ethia
Summary: Sakura and Sasuke have been married for two years now and are finally thinking about having children, until an unexpected event rips Sasuke away from the easy life he has been living. Now the two of them must struggle as Sasuke fights his way back to her and she deals with the political and personal consequences of marrying an Uchiha. Contains OC's
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this and I'm not trying to sell any of it.

**The Meaning of Family**

**Arc One: ****Forced Circumstances**

**Chapter One**

* * *

During a particular time in my life, I can recall a dark shadow that blinded me from everything in the world except for one shining light that would guide me out of despair. She came in the form of a small child with golden locks, and was blessed with the white-lavender eyes of the Hyūga. Hina Hyūga is her name. She's a few months younger than me and has a lot more personality. In our youth she was filled with unlimited energy and a reckless abandon that nearly always threatened to get us into trouble. Still, when I shied away from others or was being bullied by my peers, she was there to force me into action or defend me from my attackers.

It wasn't until my father came into my life that I truly started to overcome the hindrances that the city I was raised in bestowed onto me. His appearance brought an end to the laughs and yells; the mocking and ridiculing; the shame. Like a storm, he blew away the aggressors with unforgiving lightning and thunder; they didn't know what hit them. With him in my life, I finally learned the true meaning of my birth right. But it's the shameful childhood I bore, and the rearing of his best friend's child that he endured, that brought us to the points in our lives when we finally met for the first time. Despite my feelings before meeting him, the stories of his past make me happy that our reunion wasn't until years after my birth. I don't know if I could have handled him as my father if he had stayed the same, if he hadn't gone through the struggle up until the point we met. At the beginning, the very beginning, when I was still a mere thought that sat in the back of his head and pounded on the front part of my mother's skull, he had been closed off and distant from the world. In a sense, he still is, but I feel he was different in those days.

Like every story, there's a trigger of events that creates a catalyst from which the adventure can unfold. The cause in this case is a ratty young boy, with spiky fly-away blonde hair, and narrow white-lavender Hyūga eyes, who I would someday come to think of as a brother.

**xxx**

"Sakura! Get Naruna out of here!" Sasuke Uchiha barked out hoarsely; never one to wake up in a good mood. He had been sleeping so peacefully too, until the blonde child bounded into his room and jumped onto his back, none the lightly.

"Oh shuttup Sasuke-ji. Sakura-ba told me to wake you up," the boy named Naruna said. The raspy-ness of his high pitched, adolescent voice rang through Sasuke's ears like nails on a chalkboard. Naruto may be Sasuke's best friend, but the solemn Uchiha couldn't bring himself to care for the Hokage-to-be's child.

He hated children and wasn't sure how Sakura expected him to provide her one. A part of him knew that he would have to eventually, and sometimes, during the moments when Naruto would take his wife to the side and hold her gently while Naruna played noisily before them, Sasuke could feel a twang of paternal emotion course through him. He wanted to be a father. To show his future child the life and childhood that had been ripped away from him. But those were all feelings that he hadn't come to grips with. A child was something in the distant future for him, not the near. If only Sakura would understand that.

"Wake up Sasuke-ji!" the child cackled as he jumped up and down roughly on Sasuke's back. Sasuke wanted to hit him, to slam his arm across the kid's body and send him flying into the wall, but Naruto wouldn't appreciate that and Sakura would more than likely send him soaring halfway across town with one, perfectly positioned and toned punch. Not to mention the entire Hyūga clan would probably be after his head. But the pounding of small feet hopping heavily on his back wouldn't stop. _'He's four years old,'_ Sasuke told himself, hoping to subdue his growing irritation. _'Once he's a few years older you can beat him down and call it training. Just bare with it…'_ At one point in his life he thought the only source of true irritation he would ever have to endure was the gawking of female onlookers and the blonde idiot he considered his best friend and brother, but everyday he interacted with the little heathen that he was forced to proclaim as his nephew he was proved wrong.

"Why is it you're an angel to everyone else but to me you're nothing but an annoying brat?" Sasuke finally growled under his breath. He rolled over and caught Naruna by the ankles as the boy came back down from his most recent leap. Naruna collapsed onto Sasuke's chest and didn't bother struggling out of his uncle's grip; these two had played this game before.

"Because I hate you. You're nothing but a big meany," Naruna said quietly so that Sakura couldn't hear him. A spark flashed across their eyes and Sasuke smirked. Naruna grimaced, afraid that his uncle had finally reached his limit and would actually strike him; maybe then Naruto and Hinata would say he didn't have to see the Uchiha anymore.

"Good, that makes two of us. I'm glad we're on the same page," Sasuke said as he tossed the boy off of his chest and onto the floor.

There was a clunk as Naruna failed to catch himself, and then he did the one thing that Sasuke could never stand. The one thing that kept the thought of children buried deep, in the far reaches of his mind where the idea all but disappeared. Naruna began crying, and not just the I-hurt-myself-and-need-you-to-comfort-me crying that Sasuke could deal with, he was married to Sakura after all, but the I-am-going-to-scream-at-the-top-of-my-lungs-until- your-ears-bleed-and-your-wife-scolds-you-for-hurti ng-me crying. He grit his teeth as Sakura barreled into the room.

"Hey Naruna-kun, are you okay?" Sakura said in the sweet voice that she saved specifically for the little child. The sound was filled with milk and thick honey that sugar coated the kid until he was smiling brightly. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes and nose while Sakura lifted him off the ground and hugged him comfortingly. Her affectionate expression hardened as she turned away from him and glared daggers at Sasuke. "What did you do?"

"I threw him off of my back," Sasuke said nonchalantly. Sakura huffed and stormed out of the room. Relieved, Sasuke let out a heavy sigh and fell back onto the bed, hoping to sleep for a little longer.

"Don't you dare go back to sleep," Sakura's voice trailed down the hallway and into their room. He groaned and sat back up.

"When's daddy or mommy coming to get me," Naruna whined as Sakura laid out a plate filled with pancakes for him to eat at the small table that took up a corner of their kitchen. He liked Sakura well enough, but Sasuke was mean and wouldn't talk to him if he could help it. Naruna didn't understand what Naruto saw in the brooding man but his father never stopped talking with Sasuke. The two were nearly always together; sparring, eating, scheming, arguing, or collaborating.

"An hour probably," Sakura said pleasantly as Sasuke walked ominously into the kitchen. He brushed by her, placing a hand on her waist, catching her by surprise. Naruna looked away as Sasuke placed a soft kiss on top of Sakura's forehead and murmured a 'sorry' under his breath. She was going to let him get away with his behavior now, and she wouldn't make him apologize to the child. "G-good morning," Sakura stuttered as a feverish blush rushed over her face. They had been married for nearly two years now yet he still excited her easily, with absolutely no work needed on his part.

"Morning," Sasuke said, his quiet, deep voice sinking into her skin and wrapping her in a suffocating cocoon of heat and lust; she'd accept the death easily if it really came. She swooned and he stayed in place in case she tipped over. Once he was sure she was stable again, he made his way to the table.

Naruna made a show of not looking at Sasuke but the man didn't care. He was happier when Naruna was being quiet. Every year his family—Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata—told him that their relationship would get better once Naruna was older, but every year Naruna grew older and their bond worsened. Sasuke almost wished that Naruna would shrink back into infant-hood so that he wouldn't have to deal with the sarcastic child who ran around like crazy and who everyone expected Sasuke to take care of. But then he would remember that during that period of time Naruna didn't know how to use a restroom, and would scream vociferously whenever he was forced into Sasuke's embrace, and the Uchiha would reluctantly agree that older Naruna was better, if only a little.

Sakura set down a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice, and a plate of fish in front of Sasuke, giving him an amorous look as she sat beside him at the table, a bowl of fruit in front of herself. He smirked at her and then chuckled internally when she started blushing again. It was nice being able to please her so easily.

"How can you stand eating something so plain for breakfast?" Naruna rasped squeakily, his mouth full of mushy pancake.

"Aren't there table-side manners you should be abiding by?" Sasuke answered with a question. "Or maybe your mother and father have failed to teach you the everyday implications used to denote one as being eloquent and distinguished.

"Quit using big words ji-san! I don't even know what you're saying," Naruna wined and Sasuke frowned with disgust. The kid's face was covered with syrup and a small clump of cake was caught on the side of his mouth. _'He's four,' _Sasuke told himself mentally. _'He's four.'_

"Naruna-kun, Sasuke is saying that it's rude to talk with food in your mouth," Sakura explained musically. She walked to the other side of the table and wiped at the boy's mouth before Sasuke lost his appetite completely.

"Can't he just say that then?" Naruna said angrily. He hated his uncle for always picking on him. The thought of having a cool and strong uncle to fall back on if he ever had a problem he couldn't go to his parents about was snubbed out before it could flicker to life in his mind. There was a feeling that nagged at him unsympathetically and told him that Sasuke would never like him and wished he didn't exist. Naruna hated Sasuke.

"Are you two fighting again?" a voice made of soft woven silk said from the hallway leading into the kitchen.

"Mom!" Naruna cheered enthusiastically as Hinata Hyūga brushed into the room with grace.

Hinata had changed since their years as teenagers, though in some cases she was still the same. With Naruto by her side she had become a force to be reckoned with, becoming one of the strongest Hyūga in the clan. There was no questioning her abilities now. Naruto's favorite dating activity was sparring with the Hyūga princess before going out to eat a large meal and then strolling together through the beauty of a freshly fallen night sky. Because of this, she was quick to grow stronger during her youth and now had only settled down long enough to carry and then nurse Naruna. Although she was still shy at gatherings and outings, the reckless blondes in her life had easily influenced her to voice out her opinions when the time was needed. Hinata was never aggressive, but she could definitely be stern.

Naruna tucked under the table and then bolted to Hinata, clamping his small arms around her legs and digging his face into her knees. She smiled and rubbed the top of his head with her hand. "Have you been behaving yourself?"

"Yes, but Sasuke-ji is still being mean," Naruna said and Sasuke rolled his eyes. There was a sound of someone fumbling with something out in the entry way and Naruna raced away from the kitchen, calling out "daddy!"

"Sasuke-nii…" Hinata murmured but Sasuke reeled away from her and went back to eating. "It's his birthday…"

Sasuke didn't make an attempt to talk and Hinata sulked slightly until Sakura rushed in to save the day. "Isn't it great? Your little boy is four years old today."

Hinata smiled. "Yes… Naruto-kun and I are thinking of making another…" Hinata said shyly, her face blushing. She wasn't embarrassed enough to hide the conversation though. Sakura had been the one to deliver Naruna and Sasuke was around so often she was used to him hearing things that were only meant for Naruto's ears, so she wasn't exactly shy in front of him.

"Another one?" Sakura beamed with enough enthusiasm Sasuke was sure her eyes would explode. She turned to Sasuke with the same amount of eagerness in her voice. "Oh please, please, please," she pleaded. "We can't let them beat us."

"When did it become a competition?" Sasuke sighed and Hinata twisted her fingers around one another awkwardly, not sure if her news had spurred a lovers' quarrel.

"What are you lot jabbering about?" Naruto said as he walked into the room. He was due to be inaugurated into the position of Hokage within a month or so and annoyingly made it a point to practice his leadership skills on Sasuke, trying to find peace with the man whenever he was at the point of blowing up. "We're going to be late, you know."

Sasuke sighed again, forcing back any words he was about to say to Sakura. He would rather argue with her alone, away from Naruto's prying ears. With their breakfast eaten, Sakura quickly cleaned up the kitchen while Sasuke dressed and washed his face, then the group disembarked to Naruna's birthday party that Naruto and Hinata had spent all morning setting up.

They would have walked from Sasuke and Sakura's house, located in the once abandoned Uchiha compound, to the Hyūga compound, but Naruna asked Naruto to place him on his shoulders and then prodded his father into racing across the rooftops of the city. Hinata followed joyfully and then Sakura urged Sasuke to follow after them as she leapt up a building. Sasuke sighed. He did that a lot. The task was by no means too much for him, but for once he wished he could take it easy. Kids meant he couldn't rest, and if Sakura and he had one now, he would be condemning himself to at least eighteen years of no relaxation or privacy. At least Naruna had a home he could be sent off to. With his internal ranting pressed to the side, Sasuke sprinted after the others.

The Hyūga lands were boisterous with talk and activity. Every Hyūga from the main family and many from the branch family were situated outside of the main house, in a large grove that had been set up with benches and various party games. Streamers stretched from the surrounding rooftops to the trees, and balloons were tied to every nook and cranny possible. The normally scenic yard was bright, colorful, noisy, and any other happy thing that generally annoyed Sasuke. The screaming laughter from teetering children was a kick to the stomach and he could feel a headache coming on.

"Everyone's here!" Naruna said once Naruto placed him on the ground.

"Well today is your birthday. And you are the heir to the Hyūga clan," Naruto said. It was no surprise that Hiashi Hyūga had chosen to elect Naruna as his heir rather than decide between Hinata, his first born, or Hanabi, the daughter who actually excels in most instances. Naruna smiled open-mouthed at his father before racing off to play with the other Hyūga children, his wispy blonde hair standing out amongst the strands of black that the other kids bore.

"Your child is as excitably as ever," a snarky female voice said to Naruto and the group took notice of an approaching Ino and Chōji; another couple who had gotten an early start at parenthood. It seemed that once Chōji had gotten a hold of Ino he couldn't stop, they had three children now. A young Inochi stood pointedly by her mother. She's a few months older than Naruna and has long, brown hair like her father, pudgy cheeks, and a fattening gut. Her little brother, whom Ino named Inoichi after her father, has short blond hair and a lean build. "It's okay you too, you can go play with the other children," Ino said to them. The two kids looked at one another for a second and then raced off to join Naruna and the others.

"Chōino is getting bigger every day," Sakura said, cooing over the baby Ino was caring. Sasuke dreaded the surmounting baby fever that Sakura was developing. The two friends and Hinata made their way to a small table sitting under the shade of a large tree.

"We're working on getting another one out into the world," Naruto said to Chōji as Sasuke stood beside him stiffly.

"Oh yeah," Chōji said with a grin. "I think three is good enough for us. We don't need anymore."

Sasuke chided the two of them internally while they boasted about their kids. They hadn't even reached twenty-five yet but it seemed like his friends were popping out offspring left and right. He wanted to leave the threshold of dirty children and their obsessed parents but he knew Sakura would never let him hear the end of it. Before Naruto and Chōji could grow tired of their 'kid talk' more of their friends arrived to greet Naruto and Hinata and celebrate Naruna's birthday.

Kakashi brought his five-year-old Taka. No one knew who the kid's mother was and if it wasn't for his stark white hair many of them would have believed the rumors that Kakashi adopted. The story goes that Kakashi had been sent on a solo mission where he encountered a woman dying from attacks caused by a wandering band of rogue ninja. She had birthed Taka while bleeding out of gashes and holes that had been cut out of her, and when Kakashi found her, she pleaded for him to take the child and care for it as his own. Other rumors say that she had been his on-again off-again lover and when he went to visit her, he was shocked to find that she had died giving birth to his child. No matter what really happened, he was raising the boy and there was no mother to be found.

Shikamaru, Temari, and Gaara appeared next. Whatever relationship Shikamaru and Temari had was beyond Sasuke's comprehension. It seems that at one point he had attended their wedding, but for the time being they seemed to still be living apart from one another, Shikamaru stationed in Konoha and Temari in Suna. That didn't keep them from spawning off a small two-year-old girl who they had named Shimari. She's as smart as Shikamaru and as bratty as Temari but for whatever reasons her parents love her all the same. There was a fondness that she had for Taka but Sasuke sensed that Taka was drawn more to Naruna. The lot of them were still toddlers though so only time would truly tell. He hated watching them bob and weave across the ground in their malformed, child bodies. They'd stumble across the grass with their short, stubby legs and then fall into the dirt, picking their self's up without bothering to brush off the grime.

Gaara, luckily, was still childless, but only because his wife hadn't finished her pregnancy yet. The red-haired man gave Naruto a sincere greeting and then retreated to the far corner of the party where Tsunade had positioned herself. The two of them bullshitted about various affairs concerning their countries while Tsunade poured him some of the sake she had sneaked in, still hoping that she could corrupt him before her time in office was over. While he would have normally said 'no' to her offer, he downed the shot and requested another one. Sasuke wondered if Gaara was nervous, knowing that soon, he too would be a father. It was a sight watching the two of them start up their own party within the party.

As the last of their friends who had graduated into parenthood arrived, Sasuke found the pull towards the Kage table harder to resist. Kiba's child was just a few months old and had the habit of crying loudly. Shino's son was a year old and was the devil himself, contrasting Shino's own wallflower personality. The unruly black-haired kid kicked Sasuke in his shin the moment they arrived. Shino never bothered apologizing on his son's behalf, in truth; his friends generally let their children bully Sasuke whenever possible. It was a sad fact that Sasuke's spur of the moment proclaim to become Hokage was stamped out by everyone in the village. No one, save a handful of people, could bring themselves to truly forgive Sasuke and his friends were only considered so because of Naruto.

His _friends_ had it coming though. Once their demon spawns were old enough, Uncle Sasuke planned on _training_ the life out of them. He smirked at the pleasant thought of finally beating the children unconscious, the fantasy swimming across his head. Shino's son ran away once he had glimpsed Sasuke's expression.

Soon Sai arrived and Sasuke was glad. He had learned to appreciate Sai almost to the same extent that he could appreciate Naruto, mainly because, unlike the kids, Sasuke could actually hit Sai if he pissed him off. With Sai about, he and Sasuke infiltrated the Kage table and joined in on their secret party. Afterwards Kurenai arrived with her relatively respectable eight-year-old daughter and the party had reached its maximum capacity. Everyone invited was accounted for save Konohamaru and his friends, they were unfortunately on a mission, Kankurō, who was also on a mission, and Lee and Tenten, who never came to Hyūga events. No one blamed them for keeping their distance.

The party would have dragged on for Sasuke, but humorously enough, Tsunade, Gaara, and Sai were great company when the four of them were inebriated. Sakura or Naruto would have scolded Sasuke's drinking on any other occasion, but the alcohol proved to mask Sasuke's brooding and the kids were none the wiser. They would have to find more sake if they planned on keeping their intoxication up throughout the night though, the party had started at eleven in the morning and didn't end until five in the evening. Naruto's generation were known for their long-winded parties.

"So young Kazekage," Tsunade burped out after a particularly long swig of sake; Kakashi stared at the bottle, wondering if he should have a sip. "How does it feel knowing that any day you could be a father?"

"I'm nervous as hell," Gaara admitted, his normal disposition washed away by the liquor that burned the back of his throat with each swallow.

"Who wouldn't be," Sasuke said. He brushed is bangs up with his hand so that they fell disheveled to the side of his face. "Soon you'll have your own little shit running around." Sasuke motioned to the army of children parading around the grounds, coxing their parents into providing them more entertainment.

"I'm not nervous about that," Gaara said and there was a wistful look in his eyes as he watched the children tackle Naruto and Kiba to the ground; a few of the Hyūga kids activated their newly discovered Byakugan abilities, Naruna being one of them. Gaara turned back to the group of drinkers. "She isn't due for a month and a half so I thought I could get away with coming here for Naruna's birthday and Naruto's inauguration. But she's so big now… I'm worried she'll have the child while I'm away."

"Well isn't that noble of you," Sai said with a plastic smile. "So there are no worries about having created a potentially irritable little tyrant?" This was another reason why Sasuke found himself appreciating Sai's company; he had the knack for asking rude questions that other's generally avoided. It was amusing and often times got difficult questions answered.

Gaara inhaled slowly before giving his answer, prompting the other's to take long guzzles of their poison in preparation; this was going to be a long one. Gaara scoffed at their action but then did the same, he needed to keep up. "I was definitely worried and questioned my abilities as a father when I first found out she was pregnant but she has since dispelled any reluctance or fear that I had. 'I know who I am as a person,' she told me, and 'I have the choice to be a good parent.' I'm not automatically good or bad bringing up a child; it depends on my own actions. If I feel that I must strike my child as punishment, it's my own thoughts that bring me to my conclusion and it's my own acts that decide whether I spank the child or don't. Ultimately, I decide everything. How she's molded and grows. What she can or can't eat. What school she goes to, what she wears since I buy the clothes. And, of course I share the responsibility with my wife, but it's different than caring for someone else's kid. In those instances, that kid is theirs and I follow their rules, this time, I make the rules."

"Well good for you Gaara-san," Tsunade said. "I'm happy that you're confident about this."

"I'm actually very excited," Gaara said.

"Well here's a toast then!" Tsunade proclaimed and she raised her glass. Sasuke was aware of the noise around them softening as everyone tuned into their conversation, curious about what Tsunade had to say. "To Gaara being excited about having a baby," she cheered and the party-goers clapped.

"Hey!" Naruna said with an excited pout, wanting attention on his birthday.

"And to Naruna-chan turning four!" Tsunade yelled louder than ever. Naruna yippee'd with a thrill of amusement, missing Tsunade's taunt. "And to the three of us remaining barren forever!" Gaara chuckled awkwardly at Tsunade's toast but clanked his glass against hers nonetheless. Sai was pleased from the attention Tsunade had caused and joined with the glass clanking.

Sasuke hesitantly joined in too, not wanting to ruin the still current Hokage's moment, but there was a voice ringing in the back of his head. Gaara had sparked a thought that Sasuke hadn't had before. He never even considered the idea but the redhead Demon of the Sand was right; if it was his own child, it would have to follow his rules. It would be like buying a puppy; Sakura can potty-train it and Sasuke could teach it. The beast would be unconditionally loyal; he'd make sure of that. And technically, it's only messy for a few years. As his glass fell in line with the others he looked over at Sakura and found her eyes. She was watching him toast to the idea of not having kids, and her eyes were nearly welling with tears. He smirked at her, and gave her one of his _looks_ that sent a shiver down her spine. In an instant she had perked back up and was blushing feverishly. Sasuke's current alcohol to blood ratio had his head swimming in possibilities and the look on Sakura's face only added to the racing thoughts. Without thinking, he lowered his guard and let her see his smile, something he'd never done in public.

"Ack! The teme is smiling," Naruto called out from the crowd, never one to miss a beat.

The word 'damnit' slammed against Sasuke's head as his smile dropped. He was about to rush over to Naruto and pummel him for making him appear like a fool, but Gaara put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and stopped him.

"Not in that condition, you'll embarrass yourself even more," Gaara said.

Tsunade filled Sasuke's glass again. "This will take care of your troubles."

He sighed defeated and took the glass, chugging down another shot of the burning liquid.

As five o'clock rolled around the party came to a finish. Naruna, ever the spoiled Hyūga brat, had already blown out the candles on his cake and opened the surmountable pile of presents he was given, including the trinket, whatever it was, that Sakura had bought him. She told him Sasuke was the one who picked it out but Naruna knew she was lying.

With the children tired and crabby from their six straight hours of fun, the crowd dispersed and Sasuke and Sakura found themselves walking back home.

It was still bright out, but the sun had finally inched over to the point that the sky was turning red and the fireflies had started to dance around the town. The walk was quiet, the way Sasuke liked it, but he knew that Sakura was still fretting about Tsunade's toast. Within the ten minutes that it took for them to walk to the entrance of the Uchiha compound, Sasuke was aware that she was reaching her breaking point. She wanted to ask him if that was how he really felt; no doubt Ino, Hinata, and Temari bothered her about it. She was the only one among her kunoichi friends that hadn't become a mother, minus Tenten who was experiencing coping issues and barely kept in contact with anyone.

With the rest of the village hidden away by the ghost-town that was once boisterous with Uchiha's, Sasuke brushed his hand down Sakura's back. She jumped in fright and he caught a hold of her face, placing his lips on hers.

"I think I'm drunk enough to give it a try," he said and he was only half lying. He was still drunk, but definitely coherent enough to know the decision he was making.

She looked at him questioningly. "Are you sure?"

He kissed her again. "Just the once. You better make up your mind before I change mine."

She smiled at him and grabbed his hand, dragging him fiercely back to their house.

At one point, his parents' house had stood where his home was now, but, after taking in the memories it had held for so long, he decided to burn it down. Naruto and Sakura stood with him, while Sai, Kakashi, Hinata, and Yamatō watched from afar. The six of them were the closest he would ever have to a family again, and he didn't want to be burdened by his past anymore. They watched him perform his jutsu and cast his fire upon the house. Naruto and Sakura, possibly Kakashi as well, could sense the internal agony he felt as he watched his home burn. It felt like an eternity before the structure was finally brought to the ground and once it was, no one was sure what to say. Sasuke was wrapped in thought, and it wasn't until Sai spoke up that reality was forced back to him.

A simple, "that took forever," walked out of Sai's mouth and into Sasuke's ears, and the next thing anyone knew, Sasuke had planted his fist against the side of Sai's head. Sasuke kicked and punched at the pasty man he was forced to regard as a teammate until Sai chuckled and sat up, his arms holding the top half of his body off of the ground. His smile was back, despite the already forming bruises that covered his body. "Do you feel better now? I thought you might have wanted to release some of that anger."

Sasuke stood shocked, wondering if Sai had really read the mood that well and openly sacrificed his self so that Sasuke could vent. Sasuke extended a hand to help Sai up, his own personal way of apologizing, and when he turned back to look at the ashes of his former home, a new one was already in place.

"How's this for the body?" Yamatō asked, shoving a thumb towards the house he had just built. "There's still a long way to go, what with wiring it to use electricity and of course painting and decorating it, but it's a quick start."

"It's great," Sasuke said, but he masked his enthusiasm and his voice came out dull. It was enough to spread smiles across the faces of his friends though. They were happy that he was happy and that was enough.

With the ceremony over, the old house burned down and the new house now up, everyone brushed by Sasuke, patting him on the back as they made their way home. Sakura was the only one who stayed alongside him. "I don't plan on going anywhere," she said when he gave her an incredulous look, his eyes asking her what she was doing. She took his hand in hers and led him inside the house, and hadn't left his side since. That was nearly four years ago, and Sasuke and Sakura reminisced about the nights they had together since that night as they fought each other for dominance under the bed sheets, neither of them really caring which of them would come out on top because in the end both of them would win.

In the end, the battle _was_ won and they lay atop one another, sweaty and hot, the sheets kicked to the end of the bed. "You would make a good dad, you know," Sakura said finally, after they had caught their breath. She leaned up to him and kissed him softly on the lips. "I know that is something you worry about."

He rolled his eyes but didn't deny her statement. Now that he'd done the deed his fear and loathing was back in place. Turmoil regarding his ability as a father, as well as the destructive force that is a child, flip-flopped across his head and he felt his temples pound and his stomach leap into the back of his throat. Maybe he was starting to develop a premature hangover.

Sakura wanted to keep talking and she pouted her lips at him, her brow furrowed as she tried to visually coax him into expressing himself. The look on her face was enough to make him want to express himself physically and he took her lips in his, prepared for round two despite the pain in his head.

They were about to fall back onto the bed when the window to their bedroom flung open. Sai stood on the window sill, not amused and unsmiling at their current state. "Naruna's been taken," he said. "Naruto's gathering the Hyūga, but the kid is already out of the city. You're the second fastest in Konoha, after Rock Lee so we're hoping you can cut them off and bide some time until Naruto reaches them."

Sasuke nodded his head and rushed to his forgotten clothes, grabbing his sword once he has dressed. He gave Sakura one last kiss and held his hand under her chin. "Stay this way if you will. I'd like to continue once I've recovered the brat." Her entire body seemed to lighten to a soft, pink color that matched her hair as she nodded dumbly in agreement.

"Hurry back," she called as Sasuke and Sai rushed from the house.

"They took off towards the front entrance," Sai explained hurriedly so that Sasuke wouldn't have to hold back for too long.

"Well aren't they arrogant," Sasuke said as he took off in a mad dash, his voice rising and splitting the serene night sky as he rushed to the front of Konoha.

There was no exaggerating when Sai said he was the second fastest person in the village. Sasuke ripped through the night as fast as the lightening could pierce the sky, quickly bypassing Naruto, Hinata, and the Hyūga who were out to save Naruna. "Don't worry dobe, I'll get your son for you."

Once out of the city, Sasuke bounded up to the tree tops where he could see the outlines of Naruna's kidnappers hurriedly moving farther away from the town. He let chakra flow through his legs, similar to when Sakura focused energy into a punch, and kick-started his true speed. Through the tree tops, he was able to maneuver around the branches and use the nimble wood to propel himself further than what simply running across earth could provide him; the end result being a terrifying orchestra of snapping tree branches that followed closely behind him as each landing and jump broke at the wood. In minutes he had reached the ninja who clung tightly to Naruna.

"Shit it's the Uchiha!" One of the masked ninja screamed out before Sasuke's sword was impaled through his throat. The rest of the twenty or so ninjas quickly started their attack.

Naruna's eyes widen as he watches the man collapse to the ground, blood spurting out of his throat. A part of him was shocked that Sasuke had come to his rescue; another part was surprised at how cruel Sasuke could be. The red in Sasuke's sharingan excited and scared the small boy, he had never seen it activated before. He only had a few seconds to relish in its beauty before his mind began to swim into the vision of a small house.

"Where am I?" Naruna wondered aloud. In the house the wrappings that encircled his body and the tape that covered his mouth had disappeared.

"I put you in a quick genjutsu so we can speak," Sasuke explained. "Once we're done the genjutsu will vanish. Your father is on his way, I just arrived first because I'm faster."

Naruna nodded in understanding, happy to know that his father was coming for him. Before he could say anything the house faded to black and when he blinked he was back to being tied up, held in a strange man's arms as Sasuke swiped his sword lazily into and out of various ninja, dropping them to the ground like flies. The man who held him unraveled a parchment with various designs spread around it; black ink encircling the scroll like a seal. He placed Naruna's obstructed body onto the seal and clamped his hands together in the sign of the bird, Naruna struggling to get the tape off his mouth.

"…underestimated Sasuke's speed. We're going with plan B now," the man said.

He put both hands onto the scroll as Naruna managed to strip the tape away and yell "Sasuke-ji!"

Sasuke turned and raced to Naruna, grabbing a hold of him as the jutsu took place. Within a cloud of smoke, the jutsu was finished and Sasuke and Naruna were gone.

"Shit," The man who performed the technique said, but his voice gurgled with hot, metallic tasting liquid. He looked around at his comrades, all of them lying dead around the forest floor. "I'm dead now anyway…"

Naruto and his squad had finally made it to the scene but the man ripped the dagger out of his throat, which had been thrown at him by Sasuke when he picked up Naruna. With the kunai dislodged, blood was able to gush out of the hole; he only had a minute at the rate it was spraying. Quickly, the man knelt down and stabbed the kunai into the scroll before anyone could think to stop him.

With the parchment shredded, the man collapsed to the earth floor and allowed himself to die while Naruto cursed to the sky, wondering what had happened to his son and friend.

**xxx**

At this point in the story, I was still unknown to the group; not having yet formed as my father's seed swam to my mother's egg. In the dark of the night, Sakura tried to stay awake as she waited for countless hours, wondering when Sasuke would return to her, and growing cold as the cool breeze of the night lightly danced across her uncovered skin. If only she knew that the next morning Naruto would be informing her that her husband had disappeared.

* * *

Reviews and Critiques are welcomed. If the characters are too OOC please let me know. ^^

Naruna:

"Naru" from "_Naru_to" and "na" from "Hi_na_ta". Spelled: 鳴るな his name is derived from 鳴る "naru" which means "sound" and I put the な "na" in there because I wanted to. ^^ Born September 24, he's a Libra but has Virgo tendencies. As of this chapter he is four-years-old. _obviously..._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this and I'm not trying to sell any of it.

**The Meaning of Family**

**Arc One:Forced Circumstances**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Decisions… decisions… One day, when I was very little, I fell on the ground and scraped my knee. My mother looked at me with startled shock spread over her face as I gaped at the earthy dirt road I laid upon. The fright of my injury was still trying to reach me and she looked on, waiting to see if I would begin crying or not. I did. I always did. My mother's eyes fell as I sat up and hugged onto my knee, tears streaming down my face quickly. I made an awful racket that drew attention from the passersby on the street. They didn't care what she did with or to me, just as long as she quieted the noise I was making. She wanted to run to me and hold me, but that wasn't going to solve my problem. Coddling me wouldn't teach me how to deal with the pain. She hurt on the inside; her heart ached because she knew that I would have to learn to deal with a lot more than a simple scraped knee. She nearly turned her back on me, but then realized she should face the issue head on.

"Get up," she said, and the tone she used alarmed me. That sweet voice that felt like warm milk and honey was no more. The sudden change in her tone startled me and I stopped wailing and looked up to her eyes. They were stern and cold. "Now." I shook from the pain in my leg, but fought passed my jitters, and stood up. Once I was stable and my tears had stopped, she turned away and continued walking, heading for her parents' house where she could heal my knee away from prying eyes. I kept up with her as best as I could, hoping to hold her hand. but as my small fingers lifted to meet her palm, I hesitated. My mother scared me in that moment. I knew she'd let me hold her hand; she wasn't cruel. But I hadn't seen that side of her before and I feared the unknown. It was years before she softened again, and the years that passed while I waited dragged by like an eternity. I was three the day my mother lost faith in the village I grew up in.

There always seems to be a turning point in a person's life. A moment where they have to make a decision on the fly and that decision can't be delayed. They're given only seconds to choose the path their life will take, and eventually they need to make their choice with the speed of ripping off a Band-Aid. The problem with these kinds of decisions is that they never know if the wound will sting or not once the bandage has been torn from their body. As soon as my father and Naruna-nii had vanished from the powers of the scroll, they both were faced with their own spur-of-the-moment decisions.

**xxx**

With a crash, Sasuke and Naruna landed heavily on top of an altar. They were standing on top of a different scroll; this one appeared torn and bloody. Naruna wanted to vomit as he laid on the scroll, Sasuke's warm chest covering him and unknowingly pushing him into the hot, clotting crimson ooze. The young boy clenched his eyes shut and forced himself to think of something else, but the smell filled his nostrils and another wave of nausea overcame him.

Sasuke never dropped his guard. In the instant they had landed he wrapped one arm around Naruna and put his free hand on the hilt of his sword. The altar was covered in tall, melting candles that flickered nervously at the battle about to commence. Seven men surrounded the metal made table, all pointing long, thin blades in Sasuke's direction. They were ninja's but he couldn't tell what land they came from; their headbands were blank and made out of a metal that shined like gasoline mixed with water. Behind the ninja were shiny bars that surrounded them and bent at the top, stretching overhead until meeting in the middle. He, Naruna, and the enemy ninja were inside of a large, bird-cage looking structure.

"Ha ha!" A deep voice boomed throughout the large room that the cage sat it. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked past the man who stood in front of him. Beyond the bars of the cage was another man sitting on an undecorated, grey throne. His hair was short, red, and spiked lazily off of his blank headband. Sasuke took notice of the man's dark, ebony eyes that were cradled by strange red markings sitting on his skin, and the striking, electric green lizard imprinted into his black shirt. The lizard's eyes were hauntingly blue, like pools of water surrounded by fog. "It seems that fool did something wondrous! I wanted those eyes which hold the legends of the Byakugan and he sent over the eyes containing the Sharingan as well."

"What land do you come from?" Sasuke rasped out heavily. His lungs were thick and it was hard for him to breathe. It felt like his energy was being sucked out of his body.

The man smirked and rested an elbow on the arm of his throne before laying his chin on his hand. His face was silky and seductive when he spoke but the only lust Sasuke picked up on was the ache for his blood. "Welcome Uchiha, to the Land Hidden in the Forest, Mori no Kuni. My name is Tokage. It's a pleasure to meet you." Tokage's dark eyes flashed with an eagerness that Sasuke didn't like.

"Sasuke-ji," Naruna mumbled uneasily. "I don't feel so good… can we go home now?" Sasuke had almost forgotten that he was holding on to the little brat. As he began calculating the best way out of their current predicament, Naruna lost his grip on his stomach. Birthday cake and that evening's dinner spilled up his throat and out of his mouth as the child lay in the blood covered scroll; his hair and shirt began soaking the mess up. Tokage laughed louder followed quickly by the surrounding ninja.

Sasuke grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes, picking the small boy up completely and holding him tightly with one arm, his other arm still clasped to his sword. As he stood, studying his opponents, he noticed that his sharingan had deactivated; it wasn't as easy for him to sense the enemies' movements. Naruna coughed up more vomit onto Sasuke's shirt. The splatter of warm stomach acid mixed with digesting food caught Sasuke's attention for a second and the ninja took their opportunity to attack. He was one of the strongest shinobi in the world though, so he wasn't caught off guard easily.

His sword flung up to defend an oncoming blade. He kicked at his side and swung the sword again. Things weren't going to go well at this rate. His body was heavy, his breathing was shallow, and he only had the use of one arm. He rotated the sword in his hand so that he could form a sign and cast fire upon his opponents. The giant fire ball came out as a weak flare though, barely grabbing hold of one of the ninja's clothes. More laughter came from Tokage but it was soon stopped when Sasuke kicked the ninja in the head. The fire had been distracting him and Sasuke's foot was more than enough to send him flying into the ground, unconscious. One down.

It seemed that the knock-out was a shock for his other opponents. In the few seconds it took them to realize that Sasuke was stronger than they thought, he was able to drive his sword into three of them. He kept aiming for their throats. It was an easy area to defend but if he could drive the blade into the artery he'd be able to keep them from standing back up; they'd be to focused on dying to fight. His energy was fading fast and he could feel himself coming closer to blacking out. If he didn't focus and conserve his chakra then his will would lose its grip on his body and he and Naruna wouldn't be coming out of this alive.

Only three of them were left and they were running out of the cage like cowards. He followed as quickly as he could, forcing his self to run faster so that they couldn't lock the door on him. As he rushed out of the cage his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the floor. "Sasuke-ji…" Naruna said and Sasuke could tell he was feeling heavier too.

Tokage left his throne and walked over to them, his remaining men spreading away in fear of punishment. He brought out a cigarette and lit it before kneeling down before Sasuke's head. He and Sasuke stared at each other for a minute, Tokage smirking and Sasuke glaring from behind sweaty hair that covered his eyes. Naruna had passed out in Sasuke's grasp.

"Sir," a woman said, entering the room quickly. Her hair was the same shade of blue as the eyes of Tokage's lizard, and her eyes shone like yellow gems. Her black bodysuit covered all the way up to her nose. She glanced at the fallen leaf ninja and his yellow-haired companion. "The medical ninja you caught to perform the surgery is dead."

Tokage's smirk dropped. "How?"

"Suicide," the woman answered. "He bit his tongue off."

"Well then find me another medic, Aoga! What are you doing standing here?" Tokage's voice rose until it echoed off of the walls but, while his voice seemed to scare his minions, Aoga appeared undisturbed.

"Yes sir," she said. After a quick bow she left the room with a flash of smoke.

Tokage relaxed instantly. "Take these two to a prison while we wait for Aoga to find a new medic," he said as he turned away from them.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just keep them in the giant cage?" One of the ninja said.

Tokage cocked his head to the side and glared. "You lot will be cleaning the mess in there and finding me a new scroll. It appears that it was destroyed on the other side so I'll need a replacement. If you'd like to keep the Uchiha inside the cage while you clean that's fine, but don't blame me if he kills you while you work."

The three ninja gulped and then edged over to Sasuke. He wanted to fight them, but he fainted out before they had even neared enough to pick him up.

After an unknown amount of time, the Uchiha finally came to. His head hurt but his energy was back. He was sure he was hung over and that everything had been a dream, but when he looked down and saw that he was still clutching onto Naruna's blood and vomit covered body he realized it wasn't. The hangover was real though and he groaned while he observed his surroundings. The prison cell was small and dank; three moist cement walls and one wall made of bars. There was a window covered in metal bars opposite of the door to his cell. Sasuke left Naruna on the ground as he stood to walk over to the window. His energy began to feel strained again as he moved but he made it to the window without too much effort.

The view provided a lot of insight on his location. His prison sat a few feet above the trees of a surrounding forest. If he could break the bars barricading the window, then he and Naruna would be able to escape. Sasuke brought his fingers to his temple and tried to massage out the pain so that he could concentrate. He still wasn't able to sense anything and he had a feeling his jutsu abilities would be lackluster like before. Naruna moved on the ground, stirring with cautiousness. Soon the boy's pale eyes opened and he glanced up to Sasuke.

'_That man wanted his Byakugan…'_ Sasuke thought to himself as he knelt in front of the child and unrolled the wrapping that had still been clinging to his nephew's body. Then an idea came to him. "Naruna, can you activate your Byakugan?" Naruna blinked, still taking everything in. Sasuke was sure that Naruna's energy had returned as well. If the child could activate his dōjutsu then he would be able to see the chakra of their enemies. "Your _white eyes_," Sasuke urged.

Naruna blinked again, as if trying to remember how he used to do it. He squinted and whined and contorted his face awkwardly, making Sasuke wonder if he was trying to force his eyes out of their sockets. "I can't do it Sasuke-ji," Naruna said, finally giving up.

"How did you do it before?" Sasuke pressed.

"I don't know. It's like I _click_ and then it's on," Naruna explained.

Sasuke closed his eyes, baffled by Naruna's explanation and aching from the aftermath of his drinking. He tried to calm himself and lower the expectations he had of the four-year-old. "Close your eyes, Naruna." Naruna watched him for a second, afraid that Sasuke might do something mean. When his uncle showed no sign of deceit, Naruna closed his eyes. "Good, now relax and think about _clicking_ your eyes on."

Naruna was aware that he was still very close to his uncle. His uncle's body heat was quick to warm his own body, despite the moisture that still covered his shirt. He forced himself to focus though, he had only learned how to activate the Byakugan a few months ago and it wasn't second nature to him yet. Normally, he would have to feel out his chakra and then just _push_ at his eyes and then the Byakugan _clicked_ on, but now his energy felt wonky and he couldn't get a grip on it. He needed to reestablish his chakra which would take a few minutes judging by how messed up it was.

Sasuke watched his blonde nephew's face squirm in childish concentration. He sighed in annoyance, his patience wearing thin, and decided to stare out of the window, hoping to distract himself. The sun sat high in the center of the sky, glaring down on the forest angrily; filling the air with overbearing heat. Hopefully Naruna would be able to activate his eyes before the day was over. He tried to activate his own eyes but it felt like there was a block. He couldn't get passed it to turn his Sharingan on and he blamed whatever was causing his energy to slowly drain away.

"There!" Naruna shouted in glee. Sasuke nearly slammed his hand onto Naruna's mouth to keep him from making more noise but the veins popped out around the child's eyes pleased him and he let Naruna get away with being loud.

"Indoor voice," Sasuke mumbled quietly. Naruna's face dropped from Sasuke's comment, he was hoping he'd be praised but then he remembered he was talking to his uncle. "Can you sense any other chakras Naruna?"

The boy nodded his head. "Yours is super blurry." He continued to look at Sasuke but pointed down the corridor that connected to the prison. "There's some kind of blurry people over there."

"What about in the forest?"

Naruna shook his head. "I don't see anyone."

"How far are you looking?"

"As far as I can look, Sasuke-ji."

Sasuke closed his eyes again and calculated. The visual range of the Byakugan was large, even for a child Naruna's age. If the boy couldn't sense anyone nearby in the forest then escaping out of the window would be his best option. Sasuke's strength was constantly depleting though and he knew that if he tried to punch or kick down the bars then he wouldn't have enough energy to run out of harm's way. His only real choice would be to blow the bars down, even though it would alert the guards to his escape. He wished they hadn't taken his sword. At least his pack had foolishly been left with him.

He dug through the pouch containing his spare gear and pulled out a single tag of paper, marked for explosions. He wrapped it around the middle bar of the window and then carried Naruna away. Sasuke had to concentrate for several minutes before the small amount of chakra needed to fuel the tag had collected into his hand. Once it had, he formed the sigh of the snake, and waited. Two seconds went by and the tag burst with power, breaking and cracking the metal bars and surrounding section of cement. With a large hole in their prison cell, Sasuke dashed into the forest with Naruna still being held in his arms. There was yelling coming from the corridor but the voices faded as the two of them descended into the trees.

"I see a lot of people," Naruna said suddenly.

"Behind us?" Sasuke asked.

"No, over there," Naruna said and he pointed to the side. "I don't think they're ninja."

Sasuke looked down at him questioningly. He was sure Tokage's men would be after them. "What makes you think that?"

"The bad people are following behind us, but this other group isn't. Some are big and some are small so I think there are children," Naruna explained. Sasuke decided to try the odds; he had no idea where they would run off to anyway. He sideswiped beside a tree and charged in the direction Naruna had pointed. His legs were growing heavy with each push against the ground and he wasn't sure how long he could run. "They aren't following us anymore."

'_But why?'_ Any capable ninja would be able to track them even if the ninja couldn't sense chakra. Unless they expected Sasuke to be hopping through the trees, along with his messed up chakra, maybe they couldn't sense him properly so they really didn't know where he was. "How much farther until we get to the village?"

"I don't know. Soon?" Naruna said and Sasuke rolled his eyes. He was starting to wish that Naruna _was_ older; he might be able to get along with the brat if the kid could actually put two and two together. Nonetheless, the irritable uncle readjusted Naruna and never stopped running, telling himself that the village, if it was one, would appear before them soon. "People are coming from that way." Naruna was pointing to their right.

Sasuke ducked into a large bush and waited quietly.

Within minutes, the sound of wooden wheels rolling along a dirt path caught Sasuke's attention. An old man and a young man were leading a horse drawn cart to the village, slowly passing by Sasuke, Naruna, and their bush. As they crept by, Sasuke noticed that the cart was filled with food. He deduced that they were wandering farmers or merchants. Naruna stared at him confused as Sasuke placed him onto the ground. Sasuke closed his eyes and thought about his next actions. He could try running to the cart, stealing some of the food, and then hiding again, but with the way his body was acting he wouldn't be able to get to the cart before the men noticed him, and then how would he explain himself? He could try asking but he didn't have anything to trade and if they lived this close to Tokage's tower, who's to say they aren't the enemy?

There was always the _other_ solution. The one that Naruto absolutely refused to do. Ever. Sasuke had already used that solution multiple times in the last several hours, but that was against ninja kidnapping Naruna and threatening to take both his and the kid's eyes. Still, he didn't have to kill both of them…

Sasuke bared his teeth in frustration from his decision. "Wait here and keep quiet," he whispered to Naruna. He walked out of the bush and towards the slowly moving cart. He had to take some of the food one way or another. He and Naruna were running from Tokage's men in a completely new environment and with his current state, Sasuke wasn't sure if he could hunt properly. Food may not walk in front of them this easily again.

The wheel of the cart became caught in a small hole in the rode and the two men, assumedly father and son, began to bicker about the best way of fixing their problem. Sasuke was close to the cart now, and was hoping that the wheel was enough to distract them while he stole some food.

"There's some tools in the back," he heard the old man say.

"I know, dad, I know," the young man said. Sasuke was well aware of the approaching footsteps as he grabbed at a sack of potatoes. "What are you doing?" the man asked alarmed. Sasuke grabbed a kunai from his pack and dragged the tip across the man's throat, silencing him with a slash across his vocal cords. The man's body fell to the ground with a heavy flump.

"Are you okay?" the old man said. Sasuke opened up the sack of potatoes and poured out the contents. The old man was approaching slowly and Sasuke was able to fill the sack with bread, cheese, some fruit, and some salted meat. As the ninja turned to leave the cart, the old man had reached him. "What's going on?" the man said and Sasuke felt his heart drop to his stomach. The man was blind.

Kill him? Tell him? Or leave him?

Too many 'what ifs' would occur if he left the old man alone. Sasuke wasn't sure if he could handle the guilt of letting a blind man fumble around uneasily, scared and looking for his son until he came across the dead body. If Sasuke told him, he was sure the man would yell out for help. There were bound to be ninja around who would come see what the ruckus was about and they'd be thrilled to have found Sasuke. There wasn't a choice for him. Sasuke swiped his kunai across the man's neck and watched as he fell to the forest floor as well. If they had been in Konoha, if his chakra wasn't messed up, then there was a high chance that neither of these men would have had to die.

Sasuke walked to the horse and cut it free from the cart. At least he'd let the horse live. The horse was loyal though; it walked to the men and waited, hoping they'd stand back up.

'_Thirst will drive it away eventually,'_ Sasuke told himself as he hurried back to the bush and retrieved Naruna. The boy was crying silently when Sasuke got him; he'd watched everything.

"Y-you k-killed them," Naruna said. He understood why Sasuke picked off the men who had kidnapped him, but those two men were innocent. Naruna's high voice rose higher until he was shouting. "You're a murderer!"

Sasuke dropped the sack filled with food and slammed Naruna into the ground, knocking the wind out of the small boy. Naruna coughed up spit as Sasuke grabbed a hold of him and the sack of food again and then took off running. Hopefully the boy's yell didn't inform their enemies of their presence.

Naruna refused to talk to Sasuke for the rest of the day, so he was forced to use his instincts to determine the location of any approaching ninja or person or wild animal. Luckily, they had traveled far enough away that it seemed Tokage's men had lost all sight of them. By the time dusk was approaching, Sasuke had found them a den, hidden behind several large bushes, that they could use as shelter. He pulled out the cheese and bread and handed it to Naruna but the boy refused to take it.

"Don't let their deaths be in vein," Sasuke said as he urged the boy to eat.

"You're using big words again…" Naruna mumbled.

"The word 'vein' is a smaller word than 'death'. I'm sure you know what 'death' means," Sasuke argued.

"And what does 'vein' mean?" Naruna asked, arguing Sasuke's answer with a question.

"In this case it means that their deaths would have been for nothing. Meaningless deaths. A death for no reason," Sasuke said.

Naruna scoffed. "And what was the reason they died, aside from that you killed them?"

"So that we could survive," is all Sasuke said. Naruna started crying. "Why are you doing that?"

The small child hiccupped and coughed as a wave of fear washed over him. He was starting to cry-scream as young, scared children who are tired, starving, and covered in blood and vomit do. Sasuke moved towards him quickly and knocked him into the wall of the den, placing one of his hands over Naruna's mouth, and placing the other over his nose so that he couldn't inhae. Naruna coughed in his attempt for air, sending spit into Sasuke's palm.

"Don't struggle," Sasuke said and Naruna calmed immediately, too scared to defy him. Sasuke let go of Naruna's nose so that the child could breathe again, but kept a hand over his mouth. "You can't do that anymore. It isn't going to help us. Those ninja will hear you and find us and I don't know how much longer I can last before my energy is taxed." Naruna didn't make any attempts to speak or yell so Sasuke lowered his other hand. "I'll do whatever I can to keep you calm, but please, don't yell and shout like that. Our lives depend on you being quiet."

Naruna sniffled back a wail but the tears never stopped falling down his cheeks. "If I was with my daddy he'd at least hug me. You just hurt me and throw me into walls and the floor and stuff."

Sasuke was shocked by how young Naruna sounded. His words came out like a child's would, but his nephew had always seemed like an enigma to him. Right now though, he felt pity for him. Awkwardly, Sasuke reach his arms around Naruna and pulled him to his chest. The embrace was loose and Sasuke wasn't sure what else Naruna would want him to do. The one and only time Sasuke had ever held his nephew, really held him because he wanted to, was a few hours after Naruna had been born. The baby already had a small patch of blonde hair and looked like Naruto. He had been peacefully sleeping in Sakura's arms while Hinata and Naruto watched on happily, but when Sakura placed the infant into Sasuke's embrace, Naruna woke up and began screaming. Sasuke had never willingly held him since. This time though, Naruna wrapped his small arms around Sasuke's neck as tight as he could and sobbed silently into the crook that connected his uncle's throat to his chest. Absentmindedly, Sasuke began to make small, calming circles around Naruna's back, the same way he did whenever Sakura would cry.

Once Naruna had cried as much as he could, he and Sasuke broke bread and ate what they'd salvaged. The meal was short, but the taste of the bread and warm cheese followed by the juicy fruit was delicious to their tired and worn bodies. Hopefully tomorrow Sasuke would be able to risk a fire and cook the meat before it spoiled completely, or maybe the smell would draw the interest of an animal he could kill.

Sasuke finished eating before Naruna, and left him in the den so that he could find some water. Naruna fought him at first but Sasuke was able to convince him to stay. Luckily, there was an empty flask in his pack so once he found a small brook and drank his fill he was able to store some for his nephew, saving the kid the trip. Tomorrow, he would take the boy down to the brook to wash himself. Before leaving the water, he washed out the small amount of vomit that was still covering his shirt. Sasuke grimaced when he remembered that Naruna was covered in a lot more puke as well as someone else's blood.

When he arrived back at the den, Sasuke peeled off Naruna's shirt and then gave him his own to wear. He dug a small hole into the earthy ground and buried the cloth so that the smell of vomit was masked. Not long later, night had fallen, and the two of them found nothing better to do than sleep. Sasuke wanted to shove Naruna away when the boy curled against his chest, but decided it would be easier on both of them if he didn't.

**xxx**

While my father had spent the day struggling to stay alive, my mother stayed housebound waiting for his return. Naruto had spent the entire night searching for his son and brother. In the early night, right after their disappearance, he became distraught at the scene he, his wife, and their family had stumbled upon. The bodies of twenty five ninjas were strewn across the ground, their blood pooling into the grass. The ninja who had held onto Naruna during Sasuke's assault had all but bled to death while ripping apart the scroll.

**xxx**

"There's no way back now," the ninja said when Naruto grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground. The man was a limp sack of potatoes in Naruto's grip.

"What did you do?" Naruto rasped the night with a voice filled with malice mixed with fear.

"I reverse-summoned them to my master. Soon their eyes will be salvaged and they will be dead," the man said and then coughed up blood. "There's no coming back now. I destroyed the linked scroll. Your son and friend are stuck there."

"Stuck where?" Hinata said, hurrying over to her husband and the man he was holding up. Her voice was forceful and demanding but her tone was thrown off by the pleading look in her eyes.

The man's eyes began to roll into the back of his head. He coughed up his final words, "Aren't you a cutie?" and then died.

Hinata gasped and Naruto growled with anger. If he had been younger, his skin would have been ripping off as red chakra recreated his body. There was still an unnatural stir in the air as loathing consumed him. Hinata activated her Byakugan while her husband tried to recollect himself. She stretched out her line of vision until she was forced to search farther than she ever had before, scanning an area of a thousand meters in desperate search for her son.

"Do you see them?" Naruto asked forcefully. Hinata shook her head 'no'. The hokage-to-be snarled in anger and took off in a mad dash back towards Konoha, leaving his wife and her family staring after him uneasily. He hurried as fast as he could, bounding over the rooftops until he arrived at the Inuzuka compound. It wasn't long before he was banging loudly on Kiba's front door. The knocking soon caused Kiba's son to start crying out.

"What do you want, Naruto?" Kiba said annoyed as a yawn escaped him. His wife was in the back of the house, rocking their child. "You woke up Sasakure…"

"My son was taken," Naruto said urgently. "I need your help!"

Kiba's eyes instantly flashed open. "Akamaru! Let's go!" The two men and the dog raced out of the compound, Akamaru and Kiba keen on tracking Naruna and Sasuke by scent alone. As they made their way back towards the front entrance to Konoha, Shino and Hinata joined them.

"If Kiba and Akamaru can't smell them out, my bugs will be able to," Shino proclaimed. Naruto grinned; Hinata's old team were the best trackers of the original rookies after all. He was proud that his wife had thought to get the Aburame. Once they arrived back at Sasuke's small massacre, hope abandoned him and his wife. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino's bugs were at a loss, as if the scents of Naruto's son and brother had completely vanished. He urged them to keep searching but they finally told him there was no hope when the sun started to rise.

"Let's go home, honey," Hinata pressed. She grabbed a hold of Naruto's arm and gently started pulling him back to the village. She wanted to keep searching too, but she knew her teammates strengths and understood that there was no chance of finding them. They would have to look for their son another way, or just trust Sasuke to bring him back home. Hinata hated watching her husband stare back at the bloodied grounds with that distraught look in his eyes. She hoped that her touch had calmed him because he allowed her to lead him back to their home, but once they arrived at the village he stopped suddenly.

"No one told her," Naruto said and she knew he meant Sakura. "I'll be back, alright?" Hinata nodded and watched as Naruto bounded out to the land that once contained the Uchiha clan.

Naruto didn't bother knocking on Sakura's door; he never had before so why should he start now? He hurried into the house and rushed from the kitchen, to the living room, and finally to her bedroom, not having seen any sign of her. The door to her room was slightly ajar so he pushed it all the way open and called out her name. "Sakura-chan!" Instantly he turned his gaze away from her and looked down at the floor.

"I thought you were Sasuke," Sakura said, her voice embarrassed and he could tell just from the sound of it that she was blushing. "What are you doing here barging into my bedroom?" She asked and he heard her grab her bed sheets so that she could cover her still naked body.

"I have some… bad news to tell you," Naruto said, trying to find the best words to use. He was still thrown off by the night's events and he wasn't sure how to go about informing her of the current situation.

"What happened?" Sakura said. She sounded confident. Sakura thought it was weird that Sasuke wasn't back yet, but there was no way he could be hurt. He's one of the strongest ninja in the world and he was just facing a few thugs who thought it would be a good idea to kidnap the heir to the Hyūga. Right?

"Sasuke and Naruna were reverse-summoned…" Naruto started to explain.

"Where? By whom?" Sakura yelled in shock.

"I don't know where. Sasuke slaughter all of the ninja right before he was sent away. All I know is that they wanted my son's eyes," Naruto said.

"Well what are we going to do?" Sakura yelled. "Go get the Aburame and the Inuzuka and make them start looking!"

"What do you think I've been doing all night?" Naruto yelled back, he still wasn't looking at her so the majority of his voice was sent to the wall.

Sakura's face dropped and her tone lowered. "So you weren't able to find them then." He heard her stand and walk to a dresser near her bed. A drawer opened. "They'll be fine of course. I don't know why I was acting worried. Sasuke will be back in no time and he'll have Naruna with him."

"Yeah… that's right," Naruto said. There was no way Sasuke wouldn't keep his son safe, he was sure of that. He just hoped that there wasn't a trap set up for them on the other side of the scroll. He was nervous. There were still tons of different kinds of ninja that he and Sasuke had never come across before. Who's to say those ninja weren't strong? He thought back on the headbands that the ninja Sasuke killed had been wearing. Blank metal that danced with various colors like gasoline mixed with water. Naruto had never seen that before and it was his only clue to who those ninja were and where they came from. He'd have to go to Tsunade and see what information she had. "I have to go…"

Now that she was dressed, Sakura and Naruto locked eyes. They both tried to silently reassure each other that everything would be okay.

"Your wife needs you," Sakura agreed and Naruto turned away.

"We're always here if _you_ need _us_," Naruto said. "And you're always welcome to come over." He left her room with an uneasy, foreboding feeling weighing him down. In the pit of his stomach he was reeling with fear that he would never see Naruna or Sasuke again.

Sakura watched him leave and then sighed to herself, mumbling, "Stupid Sasuke. Why did you have to go and get sent away?" She deduced that Naruna was actually the one being sent away but Sasuke wasn't about to let him be summoned off alone. Even if her broody husband disliked the child, he was still noble. She smirked, proud that Sasuke was still honorable.

Her morning felt boring now that he wasn't with her. It was their day off together. Generally, the two of them both had two days off, one of which they shared, and one of which they didn't. On the days they didn't share Sakura would normally spend time with her mother or Ino or she would study or clean the house. Sasuke, generally bugged Naruto, or ran errands either for himself and Sakura or for Hinata and Naruto if they needed him to do a favor. Otherwise he would train or spend his day off relaxing in the quiet Uchiha compound. Sakura appreciated the serenity that the compound held, but it was too quiet for her. Oftentimes, she and Sasuke would spend their joint day off reworking the compound and fixing things a little at a time, but when she was alone, she couldn't bring herself to stay within the house let alone the Uchiha lands; part of her felt that it was haunted.

It was still early so her friends and family wouldn't be awake yet, not that she could visit with them today. Ino had planned an outing with her family and her mother and father were out of town on a lover's vacation. She was stuck sitting around her house or wandering around Konoha aimlessly, something she wasn't keen on doing. Sakura wished something could occupy her mind so that she wouldn't fret about her husband.

After making some tea, Sakura leaned against the kitchen counter and stared off into the joint dining room and the living room that connected into it. She and Sasuke had finally tried making a child. She was sure they'd have to attempt it a few more times just to make sure, but Sasuke had finally decided to become a father. Sakura was happy and sad at the same time. Her husband was ready to let her be a mother, but now he had gone and vanished. Right when she was given the chance, it was ripped away from her. He better get back to her soon.

As she stared into the surrounding rooms, she imagined what it would be like to raise a child alongside Sasuke. Her lips turned upward as she thought about how awkward he'd be when their baby would run to him, hoping for a hug. How would Sasuke act when he watched his child walk for the first time or when he heard his own flesh and blood speak for the first time? Goosebumps spread across her arms as a tear slipped down her face. Their first born would be Sasuke's pride and joy. He didn't see it yet, but she could. Sakura saw the potential that Sasuke would see. She knew that the moment Sasuke held his own son or daughter in his arms for the first time a switch would be flipped and he'd understand why their friends were all starting families. He would hold the babe and relish in the fact that it was his and the three of them would be happier then Sasuke or Sakura ever thought they could be.

**xxx**

I wish my mother's dream would have come true. I'd have loved to experience a warm familial feeling like that growing up. But my father wasn't there for the majority of my childhood, and my mother, though there physically, wasn't one to be there for me emotionally. In the turmoil of my father's disappearance, my mother never registered the consequences that would occur. She didn't realize at the time, how the village would respond to the disappearance of Naruto's son. She didn't prepare for an outcome that she didn't know was coming, while somewhere far away my father tried his best to stay prepared at every moment he could. There was a small child that depended on him after all. If only they both could have been there when I needed to depend of them.

* * *

As always I love reviews/critiques. It let's me know how the story's going and if you actually like it or not. Yay motivation! Also, if character's seem OOC please tell me ^^ (and I added a bit of info for Naruna on the ending AN for last chapter if you didn't see)

Time passed: September 25

Tokage: Spelled: とかげ his name means "lizard". Birth-date and age: unknown. Comes from the Land of Forest, Mori no Kuni, 森の国。


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this and I'm not trying to sell any of it.

**The Meaning of Family**

**Arc One: Forced Circumstances**

**Chapter Three**

I was a nervous wreck on my first day of school. I had never been to the academy before and I had never gone to any kind of day care. My life revolved around staying near my mother, my grandparents, or the Hokage and his family. The concept of school was like entering into a new world. Suddenly I was expected to learn and grow in a structured environment. Part of me was excited; maybe I could learn enough that I'd remind my mother of my father? Wouldn't she be proud of me if I was as skilled as he was? Another, larger part of me was worried. School meant peers and I already had a poor relationship with the neighborhood children. They bullied me frequently and I relied largely on Hina to come to my rescue. The dread I felt from the idea of facing those kids for countless hours every day was only slightly subdued from knowing that Hina would be entering school when I did. Life is easier when you face challenges with someone by your side; even when the person who stands beside you is a sniveling four-year-old, or in the four-year-old's case, a prick whose hands your life rests in.

**xxx**

"Sasuke-ji… I need to pee," Naruna said as he shook his sleeping uncle. Sasuke moaned angrily and rolled over. "Sasuke… I'll yell." Naruna's taunt went unnoticed as the man he sat near continued to sleep. Unsure of what else to do—he couldn't do anything that would cause a lot of noise—Naruna raised his small arm and fisted his little fingers. He gulped nervously, hesitant of the proceeding outcome, and then punched Sasuke in the cheek with the bottom of his fist. Instantly, Sasuke's Sharingan activated and he had Naruna pinned onto the nearest wall of the den. Sasuke stared at Naruna dully but didn't continue his attack. "I have to pee."

With a sigh, the irritated man dropped the child back onto the ground and led him outside so that he could monitor the boy's actions and make sure no one attacked. His chakra had returned completely while he was asleep, but now its depletion was beginning again. Sasuke was already feeling drained by the time he and Naruna reentered their home. Naruna, however, led the way hopping and skipping with bountiful amounts of energy. The sun was barely rising, yet the kid was wide awake and eager to get the day started.

"What are we going to do?" Naruna huffed as he bounced in spot.

"I'm tired. I'm going back to bed," Sasuke said. Naruna stuck out his tongue angrily but Sasuke ignored him and lay back across the ground. He didn't understand why Naruna was able to stay so energetic when his own body was exhausted. Anyone from the outside might suggest it was because Naruna was a kid, but he knew there was something else at work. His mind began to blank as he drifted further to sleep, Naruna's prodding and poking going unnoticed as his attention-seeking nephew tried to keep him awake.

...

"Sasuke!" There was a yell in the background of Sasuke's mind a couple of hours later that pulled him out of his sleep. Instantly, Sasuke stood up and found Naruna in the arms of a ninja. This ninja also had a blank headband. Sasuke growled and rushed to the man, his energy back again. Before his chakra could drain from his body, Sasuke grabbed a kunai and pierced the man's throat. The ninja dropped Naruna, and Sasuke kicked him out of the den where he fell to the ground and fainted; his blood draining from his unconscious body.

Sasuke looked to the sky. If he had to guess, he'd say in was only six or seven in the morning. Tokage's men must have been searching for them all night. He decided more productive measures were needed and began looking through his hip pouch until he pulled out five blank tags. He handed them to Naruna to hold and then walked over to the dead ninja outside his den. Sasuke looked through the other man's pouch until he was able to find four more blank tags. _'This should be enough.'_

Sasuke turned to Naruna. "Come here, and stay close." Naruna bounded over to him with the tags in hand. "Did you stay awake after I went to sleep?"

"Yea, I'm not tired anymore," Naruna said and his adolescent voice pierced through Sasuke's ears. Naruna looked at the dead ninja uneasily as he and Sasuke left the field outside the den.

"You still have a lot of energy," Sasuke noted.

"Mhmm, yeah, I know," Naruna said, nodding his head as he agreed with Sasuke's statement. "I think my body wasn't creating its strength right but I fixed that now."

Sasuke stopped walking. "What do you mean?"

"Well… I don't know…" Naruna thought about it for a minute. "My body was taking energy in one way, and then it started to take it another. Like… trying to put your foot into the wrong shoe!" The small kid became excited as he explained everything. "I felt weird like I had put my foot into the wrong shoe so I had to take it off and put the right shoe on and then everything fit perfectly and I wasn't tired anymore!"

Sasuke watched the kid look at him with eagerness. He knew that Naruna wanted his praise but he wasn't sure how to extol the child. He and Naruna had never acted like anything aside from hated acquaintances to one another before. Sasuke knelt down so that he was on Naruna's level. "So, since your energy is back, can you use your Byakugan?" Naruna activated his Dōjutsu without any problems. "And do you see anyone around us?"

"Nope," Naruna said.

Sasuke reached his hand out and rested it on top of the child's head, scratching at Naruna's scalp like he would a dog. "Good. Now, I'll need you to keep your Byakugan activated for a while, alright?" Naruna nodded his head enthusiastically. "Great. Let's go then because we have to get this situation taken care of before that man's companions realize he isn't coming back."

Naruna beamed as Sasuke lead him further away from the den. His uncle may have sounded monotone but Naruna didn't care, Sasuke had finally acknowledged his efforts and rewarded him with his own Sasuke-styled kindness. It meant a lot to know that he could get someone like his mean uncle to praise him and he swore he'd keep his Byakugan activated for as long as possible.

Sasuke led Naruna around a large area of their hideout, which included the brook Sasuke had found the night before. All the while, Naruna continued to use his Byakugan to look out for any approaching enemies. Sasuke would stop periodically and grab hold of a single blank tag as well as a pen kept in his pouch. The Uchiha would write the character for 'barrier' along with a spiral of text that encircled the word, and then he would infuse it with chakra and place it on a tree trunk, or branch, or rock. They ventured around the forest for half an hour; Sasuke placed all nine of their tags onto various items hidden away from plain site, creating a circumference around their hideout. Once the layout was set, Sasuke and Naruna went back to the den and searched it for any ninja that might be waiting for their return. The only ninja they found was the one Sasuke had killed.

"What are you going to do now?" Naruna asked.

Sasuke sat down outside the den, the center of the circle he had made, and began fueling his strained chakra into his hands, making the sign for bird. "I'm going to create a genjutsu." Once enough energy had been collected, he sought out the chakra he had placed into the tags and then inserted his illusion.

"I don't get it," Naruna whined.

With his goal accomplished, Sasuke elaborated for the child. "I combined my genjutsu with the barrier tags to create a false impression. Anyone from the outside looking in won't see this area." Naruna was still clearly confused so Sasuke sighed. "It's like playing hide-and-seek. I just made us a really good hiding spot."

"This is a bad game of hide-and-seek then," Naruna said.

"Why's that?"

"Because if they find us… we're dead."

Sasuke stared solemnly at the little boy. Naruna seemed brave compared to the words he was saying and Sasuke was more than well aware that Naruna understood what his words meant. "You don't have to worry about that. There's no way I'll let them kill you."

Naruna beamed at his uncle. "I know." Then his stomach growled.

"Let's go get you some food, brat," Sasuke said gravely and for the first time, Naruna wasn't put off by his words. The Uchiha stood back up and headed off into his small hidden area of the forest, dragging the dead ninja and the rotten meat with him. He'd burn the body somewhere inconspicuous and then hang the meat in hopes of attracting larger prey for later. In the meantime, he'd catch some fish for a fast meal.

**xxx**

While the idea of entering into a new world, like school, can be intimidating to some, to others it's nothing more than a brand new adventure. The person who's in it for the journey and experience, can walk into the situation with their head held high, ready to face whatever challenges might be sent their way. But life isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes the person's cheerful disposition is able to set someone else off until a chain reaction occurs. My mother entered day two of her life without my father in high spirits. She didn't think anything could be wrong. But like bullies in school, who smack reality into the un-expecting face of a brand new student, there are adults in the world who do the same with the use of cruel words.

**xxx**

Konoha was bustling with its usual activity when Sakura made her way to the hospital. The healing abilities she demonstrated during the Fourth Shinobi World War had lead the current Hokage, Tsunade, to offer her a position as head medic. Sakura endured one year of rigorous training per Tsunade, as well as an internship for the position she'd be leading and then, after a fantastic ceremonial feast that her friends and family attended, she was officially given her new title. Now, as Konoha's Elite Ninja, thoughts of the day's work that awaited her kept her ears from grabbing a hold of the words being said by the people that she passed.

"That's her…"

"Uchiha scum…"

"Isn't she heading the hospital and medic ninjas? Should we really let someone like _her_ be in charge of our health?"

The townspeople gawked at her and watched her with furrowed brows but Sakura continued to her workplace none the wiser.

"Oh, Sakura-sama, you're here," Shizune said as Sakura entered the employee section of the hospital so she could grab her uniform and nametag.

Sakura looked at her quizzically. "Why wouldn't I be?" She had since given up on trying to get Shizune to drop the 'sama' but her colleague insisted on showing her the upmost respect.

Shizune looked panicked. "It's just, with the way the village is responding. I didn't think you would want to work today…"

Sakura was completely confused now. "What are you talking about Shizune-san? Responding to what?"

"Well, you see…" Shizune gulped nervously. She didn't fear Sakura but she also didn't want to see her reaction if she decided to explode. "The villagers love both the Hyūga and Naruto…"

"Your point?" Sakura pressed.

"So, Naruna-kun was the village darling. He's the son of the renowned Hyūga clan _and_ Naruto Uzumaki, the soon-to-be Hokage…" Shizune was trying to force the next words out as best as she could. "They blame Sasuke for his disappearance and for allowing him to be captured."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about? Sasuke _saved_ Naruna-kun. They were just reversed-summoned in the process."

"I know that," Shizune said. "But a lot of people still despise Sasuke and are looking for any excuse to hate him. And this reason is working really well for them. The Hokage and the Hyūga clan are pretty influencing sources. The villagers have taken to blaming Sasuke like the spread of wildfire."

"That's completely ridiculous," Sakura said. She wasn't sure how to take in the news.

"That's not the worst of it," Shizune said and she ushered for Sakura to sit down on a nearby chair. She grasped Sakura's shoulders. "They group you up with Sasuke because you're his wife. The villagers currently loath _you_ too…"

Sakura dropped her head from Shizune's so that she could stare absently at the floor. Shizune gazed at her for a minute, not sure what else she should do and eventually left her in the locker room to think and absorb the information. It was the first time in Sakura's life that she had felt hated. She wasn't sure how to handle it. From this point on the villagers would detest her? Sakura couldn't believe it. So many of her neighbors had treated her kindly before all of this, they knew her and what kind of a person she was. Would the people of Konoha really turn their backs on her so easily? She thought of Naruto, when he was younger. The children may not have realized openly that Naruto's father was Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage, but the villagers knew. The villagers loved Minato and seemed to accept Kushina, the previous vessel, yet they willingly shunned Naruto until he could prove to them that he was worth loving. With that thought, Sakura couldn't pass on the idea that the townsfolk's opinions of her could change with the drop of a hat.

She stood up and walked over to the window of the locker room, peering out towards the men and women hustling down the streets below. One of them, someone she didn't recognize, had been watching the windows. She locked eyes with the person and was shocked by the glare she received; she was easily recognizable with her highlighter pink hair. The passerby turned from her and walked away.

Sakura narrowed her eyes sternly. She wasn't about to let the ignorance of others get the best of her. She pulled on her uniform, a white doctor's coat, and stormed to her office. There was work to be done and she couldn't be distracted by the villagers. If they wanted to hate her, she'd let them. One way or another, they'd be coming to her for medical help and she'd prove to them that she was a good person, and that her husband was too.

**xxx**

While my mother found complications during the day; trying to concentrate on her work while receiving offhanded comments about what kind of people the Uchiha were, my father found complications during the night…

**xxx**

Sasuke laid against the den wall with Naruna passed out on his stomach, drooling joyously. The Uchiha wanted to sleep, but he feared that there would be an attack during the night. He had taken great precautions to make sure no one would discover them, but it was a close call the last time and he couldn't risk someone grabbing a hold of the kid when he was asleep. What if Naruna woke up to use the bathroom and didn't tell him, and was then captured while trying to find a good spot to relieve himself? He was getting better at keeping his energy, strangely enough Naruna's description of how their chakra was being absorbed helped him, but he was still tired; this time from lack of sleep. He thought about meditating but decided the risk of him passing out was too great. So he forced himself to try and stay awake, but Naruna's warmth was soothing, the pitter-patter of rain that fell outside was calming, and he felt himself drifting off.

...

Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the night for a second, and was quickly followed by a loud roar of thunder.

"What was that?" Naruna gasped and clung tightly onto Sasuke, who had jolted awake from the noise as well. There was another low rumble of thunder that caused Sasuke to look outside of the den. He realized that thunder hadn't been the source of the noise; instead, it was the presence of a wolf that had stalked into their burrow. Naruna spotted it and cowered more into Sasuke, squeaking in fright.

"Don't be afraid, Naruna," Sasuke said quietly.

"W-why?" Naruna whined.

"Because that is going to be tomorrow's main meal," Sasuke said. "Give me your hand." Naruna hesitantly handed a hand over to Sasuke. His uncle flipped him over so that Naruna was sitting upright on his lap. The wolf growled defensively as Sasuke pulled out a shuriken. He placed Naruna's fingers around the sharp tool, and then held onto the little boy's hand. "You need to learn to be able to see past your emotions if you ever want to become a ninja."

"B-but," Naruna said.

"Fear… Love… these things are just distractions that keep you from your most important objective," Sasuke continued.

"What's that?" Naruna asked quietly. A shiver ran down his back.

"Survival," Sasuke finished. He lifted his nephew's arm to show him the proper way to throw the shuriken, and then guided him into the fling. The shuriken cut through the night and landed deep into the wolf's chest. The beast yelped from pain and stumbled out of the den, into the rain. Naruna wasn't excited about the kill. About the meat they'd get to eat tomorrow. Sasuke needed to make him understand but he didn't know how. "Naruna, you _want_ to become a ninja right?"

Naruna turned his head to look at him. "Of course I do! I want to be a great ninja like my mommy and daddy and grandpa and aunt and everyone else. Except you. You're mean."

Sasuke chuckled at his honesty. "Well, why don't I make you my apprentice? I'll consider you a ninja 'in-training' from this point on."

Naruna contemplated for a moment. "For real? Like, I'll actually be a ninja?"

"A ninja 'in-training'," Sasuke corrected.

"Okay! That sounds fun!" Naruna said.

"It's going to be a lot of hard work. And if you want to make your father proud you're going to have to do everything I say," Sasuke said.

"Of course I will. I'll even call you sensei!" Naruna said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You don't have to go that far." His nephew was hopping with energy again. "Are you ready for your first mission?"

"Yes," Naruna sang excitedly.

Sasuke lifted him and brought him outside where the rain-clouds were beginning to disperse. The two of them stood, looking at one another. To Sasuke, Naruna had never seemed so small, and to Naruna, Sasuke had never seemed so big. "Your first mission is to get home. This will probably be a long, dangerous mission."

"What rank is it?" Naruna asked.

"An S-rank mission," Sasuke said. "You are a very important asset to the village. So it's our job to make sure you come back alive."

"I'm not important to the village, just my mother and father," Naruna argued.

Sasuke laughed darkly. "You're a Hyūga. It's detrimental that we make sure no one captures you and steals your eyes." He stopped laughing and stood straight, prompting Naruna to do the same. "From this day on, you are on the mission. Do not trust anyone other than myself and do not regard anyone other than myself. Because the mission is so strenuous, I'll train you on the go, but it's your cooperation that will truly allow us to complete our objective and return home. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sensei!" Naruna said cheerfully.

"Good, now why don't you go back to sleep," Sasuke suggested.

"But I want you to teach me something," Naruna said.

"I will in the morning," Sasuke said.

Naruna pouted but ultimately hurried back into the den, his uncle following slowly behind him. As Naruna slept, Sasuke resolved not to fall asleep again. Last night it had been a ninja, this night a roaming wolf. He couldn't risk their well-being. Especially Naruna's, at least not until the kid could defend himself. With several hours left to think to his self until Naruna awoke, Sasuke decided what he should train Naruna to do. The child was small and inexperienced. Defense should be his top priority until he could use a weapon and properly fight. But all of the defense in the world wouldn't do any good if an attacking ninja killed him before he _could_ defend. Sasuke would need to teach him how to escape and hide. But for a child as inexperienced as he was, his attackers would have to be beyond distracted. Smoke bombs would help, but Sasuke would need to teach Naruna something else.

He thought back to Naruto. The dobe had literally been the _worst_ ninja in the academy yet he always excelled when he needed to push his limits. Sasuke thought long and hard about Naruto's earlier days. What were the ways the crazed blonde used to distract or coax others? The answer hit Sasuke like a kick in the stomach. Would he really resort to teaching the brat _that?_

Within a few hours, Naruna had reawakened and was pressing Sasuke into teaching him. With a grumble, Sasuke thought the best thing he should do was show Naruna how to skin the wolf and prepare it to eat. They built a fire, which was a risk on Sasuke's part—he hoped that the barrier would affect any rising smoke—and then started cooking the wolf rotisserie style.

"Are you going to show me now?" Naruna asked, jumping frantically.

"I'm going to teach you how to use a move that your father invented himself," Sasuke started.

"R-really? My dad made this move up? Well then how do _you _know it?" Naruna said.

"My Sharingan allows me to memorize other's techniques. This particular technique isn't difficult but since you have no experience with jutsu I don't expect you to be able to perform it immediately. The goal is to change into someone who can distract your opponent," Sasuke explained.

"Ooh, what's it called?" Naruna said. His eyes were big; filled with excitement.

"The S-sexy Jutsu…" Sasuke said, stumbling over his words. He still couldn't believe he was about to demonstrate this to the kid.

"Cool!" Naruna didn't understand why Sasuke felt so awkward.

"Go ahead and activate your Byakugan so you can watch how I meld my chakra," Sasuke said. Naruna complied and watched as Sasuke placed his hands in the sign of the ram. His uncle had to concentrate longer than normal to bring the chakra together, his energy was still being taxed. Finally, Sasuke was able to transform. In a poof a smoke Sasuke had morphed his body into a feverishly blushing and embarrassed Sakura.

"You changed into Sakura-ba!" Naruna pointed out. "Why is she naked?" This wasn't the first time Naruna had seen his aunt naked. He was young after all so she still bathed with him on the nights he stayed over.

"The point is to recreate the image of a beautiful and hot woman… who just so happens to be naked…" Sasuke said. He still couldn't believe he was doing this.

"A beautiful woman… hmm…" Naruna put his hands together, mimicking the sign Sasuke had used. "I want to try." He had watched as Sasuke gathered chakra into the technique and contemplated what to do next.

"Imagine the form you want to take and then release the energy. Be as specific in detail as you can," Sasuke said.

There was only one woman who Naruna could think of that would fit the bill. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he remembered her perfectly so the image came to him without problem. Once he was sure he had collected the appropriate amount of chakra, Naruna released the power and transformed. When the smoke cleared, Sasuke was left staring at the form of a very robust and naked Hinata. He sighed audibly. If his wife could see what he was up to, the things he was teaching her 'adorable' nephew, she'd beat the tar out of him.

"Like this, sensei?" Hinata's sweet and innocent voice drummed into Sasuke's ears.

"That's the idea, yes. But Hinata has the Byakugan. I'm sure that any ninja could put two and two together and realize that you're the one who transformed," Sasuke said.

"Wouldn't they know when they watched me change?" Naruna said.

"Hmm… yes… we'll have to get disguises then I suppose," Sasuke said. "Either way, I hardly doubt your mother wants you parading around as a naked version of her. Keep the body, its busty enough to keep men happy, but change the face and hair."

Naruna thought again and then performed the technique once more. Sasuke found himself staring back at Naruto's original variation from when he first came up with the jutsu, only with subtle differences. Like father like son he supposed. This version didn't have the whisker marks, and her long blonde hair was left to fall to the ground rather than hang in the air by pigtails. She was also a lot less perky and seemed to hold some kind of innocent, tearful, angelic expression. Her breasts were so big that Naruna had to wrap his arms around his chest to hold them up. "How's this, sensei?"

Sasuke looked away, changing back into his regular self. He still couldn't accept that he just taught the technique to a four-year-old and wanted to slam his head into a nearby tree. "That's great. Good job. I'm surprised you were able to do it."

Naruna "yippee-d", jumping high into the air as he transformed back into himself. When he landed he collapsed onto the ground. "I'm tired, Sasuke-ji."

"Take a nap then," Sasuke said.

"Okay," Naruna said. The small boy fell asleep and didn't wake up again until it was time to eat the wolf, Sasuke guarding him protectively while calculating their current predicament.

**xxx**

At this point in the story, very little had actually occurred, but it seemed things were finally going to turn around for Naruna and my father. My mother, on the other hand, was about to watch her life turn for the worst. Unfortunately, and surprisingly for her, finding out she was pregnant with me didn't do much to subdue the foreboding feelings that she would soon start to develop.

* * *

Reviews and critiques always welcome ( ^^ ) and I'd love to know if you think the characters are too OOC cuz I wanna nip that at the bud while I can.

Days: Sept 26—27

Aoga: Spelled 青蛾 and means "blue moth"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this and I'm not trying to sell any of it.

**The Meaning of Family**

**Arc One: Forced Circumstances**

**Chapter Four**

* * *

When my mother was a child, her parents were indifferent about her infatuation with my father. _"She's a kid, she'll grow out of it,"_ they told themselves. They saw nothing wrong with the fact that she adored the Uchiha survivor. My father was the best of the best so it was only natural that their daughter should be attracted to his presence.

That was before he left the village however. Before he joined with Orochimaru and later the Akatsuki. Before he tried to kill her.

"There's no way I'm allowing my daughter to date a traitor," my grandfather told my mother later in her life. The Fourth Shinobi War had been fought and my father had proven himself to be allied with the Leaf and Joint Shinobi Forces, but there was no changing the minds of my grandparents. It would be several years before they could look him in the eye and consider him worthy enough to be their daughter's husband.

The little boy who used to excel in school. The child who had smiled brightly and laughed with joy, only to be shaken by the traumatic massacre of his entire clan, would forever be known as the ninja who turned his back on his village.

And more importantly…

Their daughter.

**xxx**

"Sakura-sama," Shizune said when Sakura entered into the staff room inside of the hospital. "You don't look so good…"

"I feel terrible," Sakura sighed. "And it's not because Sasuke has been missing for nearly a month this time."

"Oh really, what's wrong?" Shizune prompted. She had gotten used to her superior coming to work with a frown on her face recently, but it was always do to her absent husband.

"I don't know. I've started to feel a little nauseous in the mornings. Sometimes the evenings before I go to bed. Actually, anytime I lay down." Sakura groaned and sat lazily on a chair, her arm resting on top of the chair's back. "And my boobs ache like crazy but I'm not even on my period."

Shizune stared blankly. "S-Sakura-sama… you don't think… that maybe you're… pregnant? Do you?"

Sakura laughed openly as soon as the words had left Shizune's mouth. "Me? Pregnant? That's a good one Shizune-san. Besides, Sasuke and I did it—" she stopped herself midsentence and raced for a calendar. "It can't be true!"

"Oh Sakura-sama, I'm so sorry," Shizune gasped. "I'll go get a cup." The black haired woman ran away in search of a test cup so that they could take a pregnancy test. Once the cup had been obtained and the test was conducted, Sakura soon found herself staring at positive test results.

"Go figure," Sakura said, snapping at the computer monitor displaying her results. "I beg him to knock me up so he gets me pregnant the same day he disappears. Isn't that just great!?" She shrugged out of her doctor's coat and placed it in her locker. "I'm leaving early today. My mind's racing so fast I won't be able to concentrate on our patients if I stay."

Shizune nodded her head in understanding and bid Sakura good luck as she saw her out of the building.

At first, Sakura planned on going home and busying herself with housework, but with her husband missing the house hadn't been gathering clutter as fast as normal so there wasn't much work to be done. If she went home, she'd be reminded of Sasuke, and then she'd feel even more worried than she already did. Sakura wanted someone to talk to, and even though she hadn't lived in her parents' house for nearly six years, her feet found themselves carrying her back to her old home.

After a quiet knock on the front door, Sakura called out "mom" and let herself into the house. It was her first time greeting her parents after Sasuke's disappearance.

"Sakura, is that you?" her father, Kizashi, called from the kitchen. She headed over to him and was greeting by a large bear-hug.

"Sweet heart!" her mother, Mebuki, added and joined the hug. "How are you holding up dear?"

Sakura wasn't sure what to say. It was overwhelming for her to be held so tightly and loved so intensely in that moment. For the past several weeks she had felt alone and isolated; the villagers' weren't letting up on their new found hate for her. In a matter of moments, she broke down and sobbed into her parents' embrace. "I'm pregnant!"

"What?" Mebuki gasped.

"That bastard," Kizashi growled under his breath.

Sakura pulled away from her father. "How can you blame him? Sasuke never planned this! Do you think he intentionally knocked me up and then ran off? How could you think that?"

"Once a traitor always a traitor," Kizashi said and the happy-go-lucky expression that he normally wore was cast aside for a dark scowl.

"Sasuke may not love the village but he loves me," Sakura argued. "He's sworn an oath to follow Naruto. And there's no way he'd betray the motives set down by Itachi-san!"

"Regardless Sakura," Mebuki says, trying to stop the developing argument. "You're going through a lot at the moment. What, with the way the villagers are acting, and now you've discovered you're pregnant… Until Sasuke comes back, at least," she eyed her husband wearily. "Why don't you come live with us again?"

"I appreciate the offer, mother," Sakura said coolly. "But I can't live under the same roof as someone who detests the man I love so much." She shrugged out of her mother's grip and left the house; her parents arguing with one another behind her.

Flustered by her father's words, but still wanting to avoid her own house, Sakura decided to visit Ino. On her way to the blonde's home, she was greeted by another blonde.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said, catching up with her. "Are you okay? I heard about everything."

"What did you hear?" Sakura asked puzzled.

"Shizune went to Gran's to tell her about, you know, and I was there when she did. Are you alright? Is there anything you need?"

"So you know then… that I'm pregnant?" Sakura said. Naruto nodded his head. "I already tried telling my parents. They just asked if I wanted to move in with them."

"I see," Naruto said. They continue walking to Ino's. "Considering the circumstances, that may not be a bad idea…"

"Excuse me?" Sakura snapped, gawking at him incredulously.

Naruto threw his hands out in front of him, trying to calm her down. "I just mean, you know, until the villagers start to settle down—"

"I'm never going back to them again! Not to live there at least," Sakura huffed. "Sasuke will be back before we know it and then it'll be like none of this mess ever even happened."

"I know that Sakura. But it has been three weeks—" Naruto began to say but Sakura interrupted him again.

"So what if it's been three weeks? What are you trying to say? That you don't think he's coming back either?"

"You know damn well that I don't believe that," Naruto growled and he felt his chakra ripple through his body. With the two halves of the kyūbi finally joined within him it was harder for him to maintain his composure. Sakura and Naruto glared at each other, both on edge from the prolonged disappearances of their loved ones. "I'm just saying… we don't know how long it will take for Sasuke to bring Naruna back home."

Sakura scoffed. "Whatever. I'm going to Ino's. Shouldn't you be getting home? I'm not the only one suffering; Hinata's going through a lot too, you know."

"Alright," Naruto said. "Just remember, our doors are always welcome to you."

Sakura and Naruto both forced awkward smiles on to their faces and then parted ways.

As Sakura neared Ino's abode, she couldn't help but feel bitter. She knew that Naruto and Hinata were going through a lot, they just lost their son after all, but they couldn't possibly be feeling like she did. She was going to be forced to raise her child alone, suffering through the scorn upheld by the village while she waited for the return of her husband. Naruto's and Hinata's pain could be subdued from knowing that their son's life was in Sasuke's hands. The brooding raven may be difficult to deal with, but there was no way he wouldn't bring the kid home.

She hesitated when she approached the front door to the Akimichi-Yamanaka residence. If she continued to believe that Sasuke was alive and bringing Naruna back to the village, then her life was undoubtedly worst off then Naruto's and Hinata's. But if it turned out that the Uchiha head and the Hyūga heir were, in fact, dead then she couldn't fathom how undeniably hurt the blonde and his wife would be. Sakura rested her palm across her flat stomach. She was barely into her first trimester but she already knew that if she lost the child, or if the child was killed later in life, then she would consider ending her own life. In a wave of maternal emotion, she had fallen in love with last piece of Sasuke she had left to hold on to.

Tears welled at her eyes as she tried to settle her emotions down. If she already cared this strongly about the unborn child, then how must Hinata feel? Sakura wanted to kick herself for feeling so selfish. Naruto's nature and the idea of his pain annoyed her, but she realized that she couldn't compare herself to what Hinata was going through. _'Especially when her husband is trying to comfort me instead of her…'_

"Momma! Auntie Sakura is here! And she's crying!" a squeaky voice called. Sakura looked down and found Ino's young daughter staring up at her. She had never realized that the girl opened the front door to greet her.

"Sakura?" Ino raced down the hall and then stopped at the door, placing her hands onto her apron-clad hips. "What's wrong? Aren't you the one who's been boasting about Sasuke-san being the hero who will bring back Naruna-kun?"

"I'm pregnant," Sakura croaked before more tears began to slide down her face.

"What?" Ino gasped and wrapped her arms around Sakura. "Inochi-chan, get out of the way," she said, ushering her plump, four-year-old daughter out of the way while she steered Sakura into the kitchen; the little girl jiggled slightly as she rushed to the living room to join her brother. "I swear, I've tried dieting her but it is not working. She's definitely built after her father."

Sakura giggled. "Don't say that. That's your daughter."

"Yeah but you laughed didn't you? You're a doctor, you should know that laughter is the best medicine," Ino prattled.

Sakura awkwardly greeted Chōji, who was sitting at the kitchen table holding his newborn son, Chōino, while Ino started to make tea. Sakura and Chōji weren't on bad terms with one another, but they were never really friends, and it was common knowledge that the head Akimichi despised her husband. Chōji had an inferiority complex and couldn't get over the fact that his wife had once been in love with the Uchiha, and since he disliked Sasuke he naturally drifted away from Sakura whenever she would visit.

"I still can't believe you're pregnant," Ino said as she brought a cup of tea to Sakura and then her husband. "Sakura, if you ever need anything, I don't want you to forget that you're welcome here."

"Thanks Ino," Sakura said wistfully. Chōji snorted and stood from the table, treading to the hallway as the pink-haired beauty sipped at her tea. "What's his problem? It's not like Sasuke's here…"

Ino waved off Chōji's behavior. "You know my husband. He's probably just sulking because Sasuke's going to be a father. He hates the idea of more Uchiha entering the world."

Sakura frowned. "I think it's a great thing that Sasuke doesn't have to be the last of his kind anymore."

"Daddy says that Sasuke leaving is the best thing that could have happened to the village," Inochi's voice sang from the kitchen entryway. She and her skinny younger brother, Inoichi, rushed across the tile floor. "Isn't that right mama?"

"Your father is a very opinionated man," Ino said. "But it isn't fair to judge someone who has already made amends with their ways."

"Yeah right," Inoichi finally chimed in. "Sasuke-ojisan is really mean!"

"Inochi's right! Sasuke-ojisan was always teasing or ignoring us. Sakura-obasan's visits are loads more fun when he isn't with her," Inochi said. "Right, Sakura-obasan?"

"Apologize you two! You're both being rude," Ino snapped, reprimanding her children while Sakura slunk away from the family.

The Uchiha woman didn't want to express her displeasure with the children's words so she silently excused herself and made her way out of the house. The consoling session didn't go as she had planned and she decided it was time she headed home. Thoughts of her husband were still streaming through her mind though. She couldn't escape the memories of when she and Sasuke would visit Ino and Chōji.

Whenever they had gone to the Akimichi-Yamanaka residence, or when Chōji and Ino came to visit them, it seemed that Chōji never let Sasuke leave his site. The girls could wander around aimlessly, chatting about everything and nothing at once, but their husbands would stay in the same room, slowly drinking quickly cooling tea, and staring each other in the eyes. Neither of them saying a word. Throw Inochi and Inoichi into the mix and the bubbling siblings were like a stab in Sasuke's side. He hated children. And watching the pair create noisy destruction around him wasn't his idea of a fun time.

Oftentimes, Sasuke would ignore the kids, but Chōji new they frustrated him, so he'd beckon them into the room and play with them. If Sasuke decided to leave for another room, or go outside for some fresh air, Chōji would send the kids after them, quickly following behind himself. Though Chōji tried encouraging his daughter and son to interact with the Uchiha, hoping to annoy Sasuke further, they were too scared. It was only when Sakura and Sasuke were baby-sitting Naruna that the Akimichi children mustered up the courage to try and play with Sasuke; thus proving one of the reasons why Sasuke loathed Naruna more than the other children.

The three brats would try and wrestle with Sasuke, or pull various pranks on him. In the end, he would always lose his nerve and blow up on them, sending them crying to Sakura and Ino.

The memories sent a shiver up Sakura's spine as she entered the Uchiha compound. _'You wouldn't treat _our_ child that way, would you?'_ she thought.

"Lost in thought, Sakura?" a familiar voice said to her. She turned and found her old master, Kakashi, watching her from a nearby bench with his son Taka. "The village is already chattering about your pregnancy. Are you doing okay?"

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura said. He must have come to check up on her in his own nonchalant way. "News travels fast it seems."

"When it's as important as the heir to the Uchiha clan, yes, it does." Kakashi answered. Sakura averted her eyes, looking towards the ground. "Sakura, I've told you, you don't have to call me 'sensei' anymore."

She snickered. "But you'll always be my sensei."

He stood from the bench and walked over to her, placing his hand on her head. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "There's plenty of people here for me to rely on if I need them."

"I hope you know I'm on that list," he said and she beamed at him. "Whatever you decide to do, if you ever need any help. Anything. I'll help you and support you."

"Thank-you sensei."

"Sakura-basan," Taka said, speaking up. "I just want you to know that I don't blame Sasuke-jisan for Naruna-kun's disappearance or whatever the villagers are saying happened. I just hope that Sasuke-jisan will bring Naruna-kun back. He's my best friend and I miss him."

Sakura smirked and ruffled Taka's white, flyaway hair. "Don't you worry kiddo, there's no way Sasuke won't bring Naruna-kun back!"

Taka grinned and nodded in agreement enthusiastically.

**xxx**

My mother left Kakashi and Taka with high spirits, ready to face another night alone. But, while I'm telling you the tale of my mother and father, it's only fair that I touch on Naruto and Hinata since their kid was also missing…

**xxx**

Hinata Hyūga was the eldest daughter of the head of the Hyūga clan, but as an elite Hyūga, she wasn't strong. Her younger sister surpassed her in every way possible. There was even a debate among the Hyūga men over which sister was more attractive. At one point, Hiashi Hyūga considered naming his youngest daughter, Hanabi, his heir but when Hinata finally won over Naruto Uzumaki a political decision had to be made.

Sasuke Uchiha was barely hanging onto the rings of political power. The only thing keeping him and his clan in the running was his relationship with Naruto. "Brothers" as they put it. No one wanted to go against the village hero so questions of the Uchiha's motives went unasked. If Naruto trusted the rogue then so would the villagers… and if Naruto married the eldest Hyūga daughter, then the Hyūga clan would undoubtedly be at the top in power; well above the sole Uchiha prince.

But Hiashi couldn't stand the idea of Hinata running the clan. She was too peace-loving, emotional, and the family would naturally flock to Hanabi because of her strength. If things went really downwind, Hiashi couldn't put it past the branch members to convince Hanabi to start a rebellion. They'd convince her that she was the true head of the clan and that she should fight for the title for herself and for the branch families. There would be war amongst the Hyūga, and while everything was calm at that moment, he knew the cousins were whispering ploys; resenting the main family for the death of one of their most prized and beloved members.

Hiashi would instead, hold his title for as long as possible, encourage his daughter to birth a child early into her marriage, and then name the child as his heir before the branch members could lash out. The child would be adored by everyone in the village, because he would be the son of Naruto, and then the cousins wouldn't be able to do anything in the form of a rebellion. They would instead, trust Naruto's son to care for them equally, as if they were part of the main branch.

So, the forever Hyūga princess found herself sitting within her family's large garden, thinking back to the days when she asked her father if Naruto could court her. When he gave her his approval, she beamed with every ounce of happiness she could muster. She would prove to her father that she would be a great leader for the Hyūga. Hinata and Naruto trained daily, and little by little, she found herself getting stronger.

It was in the garden, that Naruto had sought her the first time, and asked if she would go out with him. Just one date, because he 'owed' it to her. And that one date turned into another until it could grow and blossom into a relationship.

It was in the garden, that Naruto had mistakenly placed his hand on Hinata's thigh as he leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips. She could still remember the trembling in her lips, matched equally by the nervous twitch in his own. She had smelled of light vanilla and lavender, the sent had overpowered him and he moaned slightly during their kiss, causing his lips to part. She wasn't surprised that he tasted like ramen.

It was in the garden when Naruto play danced with her under the light of a full moon and the ballet of a hundred fireflies. He wrapped his arms around her and told her he loved her. Then he asked her to marry him.

It was also in the garden, when her father approached her as she tried to calm herself before her wedding. It was set to commence within an hour. Hiashi sat beside her and confessed his desire to have her child be his heir. To his surprise and chagrin, she wasn't angry. With his words, Hinata was able to attend her wedding happier than ever. She had never _wanted_ to be the head of the family. The only motivation that propelled her to try her hardest for the title was knowing that her father found her a disappointment. Now that a clear heir was to be had, she and Hanabi wouldn't have to fret about it anymore. When she grabbed Naruto's hand, waiting for the ceremony to finish, she felt as though a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Before her and Naruto engaged in the after-marriage-ritual, she brought him to the garden and asked that they make a child as he father had requested.

But now… her child was gone. Her second savior in life was no longer by her side. Naruna had been a constant blessing to her, and she loved more than everything, that he took after his father both physically and emotionally.

Hinata bent down to her knees as she sat at the bench located in her family garden. Again, she had gone through her marriage with Naruto and remembered every detail that led up to her son's disappearance. She was starting to wonder what she would do with herself. How was she going to go on in the world without her precious child?

"Hinata," Hiashi said. He had come to sit by his daughter's side again and she hoped he had something amazing to say. More words filled with magic that would once again remove the stress she was facing.

"Yes father?" Hinata asked quietly, raising her body back up as she tried to maintain her composure.

"Wipe those tears off your face. My daughter is not so feeble as to cry over a disappeared son," Hiashi said calmly but sternly. "Death happens."

"My son is not dead," Hinata retorted angrily. "…sorry, father."

"Even so, it's not good for us to not know his whereabouts or when he'll return," Hiashi said.

"What does that mean?" What are you getting at?" Hinata said; her father was acting colder than normal.

"We need another heir."

Hinata glared. "If you want another heir so bad then use Hanabi-san's child."

With a loud clap, Hiashi struck his hand against his daughter's face. "You're more pathetic than I thought. How dare you willingly put your sister's child into the same possible circumstance that Naruna faced. I understand that you're weak, but you must understand that as the main branch, we have a reputation to uphold. It is our job to make sure the clan comes first."

"Why?" Hinata asked in a breathless whisper. "Why must the clan _always_ come first?"

"Don't be selfish!" Hiashi snapped. "They're our family and we need to maintain the order and balance. Do you really think I'm not in pain over this? That I'm heartless? I'm his grandfather! His absence is tearing _me_ up inside too…" Hiashi stood from her side and hesitantly rested a hand on her head. Hinata's tears were pouring our stronger than ever. "Unfortunately, this is the price we pay for leading an entire clan of shinobi."

Hinata glowered at him as he left her in the garden. She was sick with herself, sick with the clan, and sick of her father. But she understood. She knew another heir was needed to maintain the balance and keep the peace amongst her relatives, and it wasn't like her and Naruto hadn't been discussing having another child anyway; they were just taking a break due to their missing son. Still, she was too overcome by grief to care.

After a few hours, she found herself sitting in the family room with her equally brooding husband.

"So Sakura-chan is pregnant…" Naruto said, attempting conversation.

"Poor thing," Hinata said stiffly. "She finally gets what she wants and her husband disappears. It must be dreadful."

"That's what I thought!" Naruto agreed. "I tried to comfort her but all she did was snap at me. The entire thing is ridiculous." Hinata doesn't respond and Naruto notices that she has changed her demeanor; leaning away from him and avoiding his gaze. "What's your problem?"

Before Hinata can compose herself she snaps. "I just find it stupid that I've lost my son but you'd rather console another woman."

Naruto glared and let out one harsh chuckle. "Don't make me laugh. You know better than to make accusations like that. I understand that you're hurt over this, but our son isn't dead, and Sasuke _will_ bring him back. Sakura is alone right now, scared, and being mocked. I know you understand that... So what's really bothering you?"

Hinata leaned onto Naruto, clutching his arm desperately. "I know… You're right and I'm sorry it's just… Father wants us to make another child soon."

Naruto slumped heavily into the backing of their couch, as if a large weight had been thrown on him. It was easy to say that Sasuke would bring Naruna back and that soon he would be able to hold his son again. But sometimes reality's bite would sting and he'd remember that his brother and son had been missing for nearly a full month. He swore he'd never admit to himself that Sasuke and Naruna were lost to him forever now, yet, knowing that he'd need to create a new heir for the Hyūga was like acknowledging defeat. Even if he chose not to believe that having a second child meant his first would never return, he was sure the Hyūga clan and the villagers would accept it as truth. They'd assume Naruna was dead…

…and that it was Sasuke's fault.

"What should we do then?" Naruto asked his wife. She quit musing over his arm and looked him in the eye.

"We have to have the child."

He rested his head on top of hers and let out a long stretch of breath. "Okay. Just… give me some more time."

xxx

In the wake of my father's new life, he found himself thinking about his wife more and more; questioning the extent of his feelings for her. Life, with my mother, was like a dream. When she was around, time stopped, and he'd consider every interaction he had with her because he knew that whatever she did, she did it for him. All the way back to when she had flung her arms around him and confessed her undying love for the first time, pleading to him to not leave the village, and even when she decided to attempt at ending his life before he could drive himself further into chaos. There were difficulties when it came to being a ninja, she understood that, and accepted him back into her life even after he attempted to kill her.

It had been a dark cycle in his life, but she, like Naruto, always seemed to make the sun shine brighter.

If his parents had continued to live, they would undoubtedly detested his marriage. He'd more than likely have had an arranged marriage with an Uchiha girl. That thought, was one of the prime reasons why he never pursued any of the females that flocked to him during his younger years, along with his obsession with vengeance. It was easier to tell himself that the romantic attempts by his female counterparts were meaningless since his parents would have wanted him to marry an Uchiha. Now, in some sick twist of faith, he secretly rejoiced in his clan's death because he would choose Sakura every time. He hated admitting it to himself, but he missed my mother. He missed her more than his own clan, his parents, or his brothers.

The one thing that kept him from letting his internal struggle get the better of him was knowing that his parents _were_ dead. He didn't have to worry about choosing her or them because Itachi helped make the choice years ago. Still, knowing that their son could never wed an Uchiha now, Sasuke knew that his parents would love Sakura. She may not be of their blood, but she was an amazingly smart and talented medical ninja who passionately learned their customs when he'd teach her. She'd make a great counterpart for him when it came to raising their future children.

And thus life continued for Sasuke and Naruna as another month passed by.

xxx

"Sasuke-sama, it's time to get up now," Naruna breathed lustily into his uncle's ear. The raven-haired Uchiha jolted awake and then rolled away from his nephew.

"Why are you performing the Sexy Jutsu?" Sasuke snapped. "And why must you take on my wife's appearance and talk like that?" He wanted to kick the kid in the head. He also wanted to kick himself in the head for letting himself fall asleep again.

"Just practicing since my _master_ won't _teach_ me," Naruna said coyly with Sakura's voice.

"Who the fuck taught you to talk that way?" Sasuke said angrily. He stretched and left their den, fixing up a meal with some of the fruit and animals they had scavenged.

"Kakashi-san," Naruna cheered, happy to finally be having breakfast. He changed back into his normal, shirtless self. "Gimmie you're shirt again, I'm cold."

Sasuke shrugged out of his shirt and handed it to the kid. "Oh right... You're friends with his son. Still… what is that pervert thinking?"

"He likes to read us his _Icha Icha_ books before we go to sleep," Naruna smiled.

Sasuke groaned annoyed. "Great, I have a four-year-old pervert in my presence."

"Awe, you know you love me, sensei," Naruna said in between bites.

"Don't get your hopes up, brat."

Naruna just grinned and they continued to eat.

After their small meal, Sasuke looked through their rations. "We're going out of the hideout. We need more food."

"Sweet! I love a good adventure!" Naruna said.

"Please. This is a really, really, stupid, long ass adventure already," Sasuke said.

He motioned for Naruna to climb onto his back and then the two of them jumped into the trees. Sasuke still had to focus his strength or risk collapsing. It was constantly difficult for him to maintain his chakra but he was slowly starting to learn how to keep it from dispelling so fast. He was left with major weaknesses though; while he could now activate his Sharingan without any problem, his speed had diminished and he had trouble performing all of his basic attacks. Without his speed he couldn't command his Chidori-based attacks, and with his chakra out of whack, his fire-based attacks were weakened. He was left entirely with his wit and taijutsu and Naruna's Byakugan.

"I sense Tokage's men ji-chan," Naruna said as they ambled through the forest. "There. There. And there." His little finger waved through the air and Sasuke kept a distinct eye on the areas his nephew pointed to.

"Hush now," Sasuke whispered. He rolled in the air, tossing Naruna off his back and catching him in his arms; a move they had practiced to perfection over the last several weeks. With Naruna clinging to Sasuke's chest, he was safe from any attacks coming from behind. Sasuke held the boys back with one hand and used the other hand to help maintain his balance. Quietly, they retreated to the highest branches and hid within the leaves; silently waiting for the enemies to pass.

"There's a carnival over there…" Naruna said in a hushed tone after several minutes had gone by.

Sasuke followed the direction of his eyes and was surprised to find that a small caravan of performers and animals were ambling through a pass in the trees. He supposed that this area was richer in culture then he thought. Rather than being ruled by a small band of ninja's, the village he and Naruna had nearly explored beforehand must be larger than he realized.

"A carnival means food we can steal…" Sasuke said.

"Why can't you just buy it?" Naruna asked.

"Well for starters, I don't have my wallet, and secondly, don't you think it would be a dead giveaway to our location if we just waltzed into a large gathering of people and started asking for food?" Sasuke said solemnly.

Naruna puffed out his cheeks and pouted. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I'm an old man who know the answer to everything."

Sasuke lightly batted the kid on the head with a smirk. "At least you're starting to learn. Are the ninja gone?"

Naruna chuckled. "Yep."

"Hnn…" Is all Sasuke said and they ambled towards the moving festival.

With their slow pace, Sasuke and Naruna didn't arrive to their goal until the caravan had decided to park and set up camp. Most of the booths and entertainers were out of commission—the circus hadn't reached its main destination yet—but some stands and displays were open for any villagers from the nearby town who wanted a sneak peak of what was to come. The sky had darkened to a bloody shade of red as the sun began its final descent around the earth, leaving a nice mask of shadow for Sasuke and his nephew to hide behind.

"Do you think Naruto will be mad if I dye your hair black? The blonde sticks out _way_ too much," Sasuke said as he and the young boy crouched behind a booth situated on the farthest edge of the carnival.

"Probably not but _I_ would be," Naruna said, a frown stretched across his face. "H-hey ji-chan… check those out." He pointed up to some costumes hanging from the booth. "You think the performers wear those?"

Sasuke glanced at the costumes and shrugged. The get-ups were fashioned around various animals; falcons, lions, zebras, parrots etc. The Uchiha found it peculiar, thinking that they must be further away from Konoha then he thought. The culture was a lot more different then he imagined it would be.

"Sasuke-ji," Naruna whispered hurriedly, dragging Sasuke out of his thoughts. "Those ninja are coming here… and there's more of them then before."

Sasuke nodded and grabbed two of the falcon-styled costumes. Naruna wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck and they hurried back into the trees. Sasuke shoved the boy into one of the costumes and then stood him on a high branch near the trunk of a tree. Then the raven put his own costume on and stood on another branch nearby.

"Damnit," a ninja said, rushing into view, followed by twenty or so others. "Their scent was here just a minute ago!"

'_A tracker ninja?'_ Sasuke thought as his enemies bickered amongst each other. _'Tokage's really playing hard ball.'_ He looked down at his costume. A bird mask had been placed over his face, but the body of the outfit was a cloak covered in a down of dark brown feathers. He surmised that the feathers must be real and their scent was blocking his own odor.

"Tokage-sama is gonna be pissed," one of the other ninjas said.

"What should we tell him? The Uchiha obviously knows what he's doing…" another ninja said.

"Yeah, but Tokage was hoping that his chakra would be messed up enough that we could handle it," the first ninja said.

Sasuke glared and wondered if they had done something to his chakra. But Naruna had been effected at first too...

"Whatever, let's just go," a different ninja said. The large group shouted in agreement but the talkative three stayed behind.

"What is it?" one asked.

"I can smell them now," the tracker said. "They've been here the whole time but their odor is masked."

Before Sasuke could think to attack, Naruna bounded down the tree. _'Damnit!'_ Hurriedly, he raced down after his nephew.

Naruna put his hands together, forming the ram. In a puff of smoke the costume-clad child transformed into his lustrously coy Sexy Jutsu form. "Are you three really going to hurt me?" The blonde woman asked with bright, tear-filled, blue eyes.

The three men couldn't handle themselves, falling to the ground in disillusioned wonderment from the sudden overload of emotion.

Sasuke grabbed the woman around the waist and smacked his chin into her head, causing Naruna to change back as the Uchiha carried him back through the forest. They were quiet during the duration back to their hideout, but the silence was broken when they landed into their safe haven and Sasuke smacked Naruna across the face.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sasuke barked and Naruna started crying. "Quit that! It's not helping."

"I'm scared," was all Naruna could muster out.

"Why?" Sasuke coaxed.

Naruna sniffed but the tears didn't stop. "Because I'm scared of that Tokage guy. He really wants to kill us. I just wanted to make sure the move you taught me would really work."

"Do you doubt me that much? I know he's scary, and it doesn't help that we're stuck here and don't know where we are. And my chakra is all screwed up…" Sasuke started to rant but Naruna grew louder. "Quit it!"

"I'm scared and upset and I want my mommy and daddy," the small boy said.

Sasuke sighed in frustration, grumbling out, "Fine… do what you want." Naruna sniffed and raced to his uncle, wrapping his small arms against the man's legs. Sasuke knelt down so that Naruna could hug around his back instead. The uncle reluctantly placed his arms around the nephew, causing the nephew to unleash a new, louder wave of tears. Sasuke gritted his teeth as the noise pierced his ears. He _hated _that noise. Mumbling, he said, "I swear Naruna, I'll do whatever I can to make sure you never have to cry like this again."

**xxx**

In less than a year, you and I would be born Hina. Time is always passing us by, isn't it? In times of struggle, it's always funny how people reminisce about the things that they loved, or thing that they missed. Sometimes though, they get caught up in the bad memories. Or, thinking of good memories leads to sad feeling that turn the memory sour.

My mother had once treasured the memory she had of the first kiss she shared with my father. The two of them had gone through a brief period where they didn't talk with one another. Then, with help from Naruto, they were tricked into a blind date. Things were still slow at the get-go, but eventually, they were dating.

The dates were slow-paced. My father isn't much of a talker, and my mother was afraid she'd talk _so_ much that she'd annoy him. Still, just being in his presence was enough for her… at first.

He wasn't one to make the first move. Probably shyer then he let on. She mustered up her courage and planted a kiss on him one night when he was seeing her home. The look on his face was priceless, she thought. He was flustered and red. She had completely caught him off guard.

Though they agreed that it was their next kiss that they'd consider as their first, she secretly believed it really was her surprise-attack-kiss. That was the kiss that made the relationship. If she had never dared to try it, then they probably would have never progressed farther.

She wasn't remembering the kiss because it was a fun, light-hearted memory however, but because it was something about Sasuke that she treasured. The more she recollected though, the more she missed him and she found herself falling further into despair.

**xxx**

'_November seventh, the day of Naruto Uzumaki's coronation,'_ Sakura thought nastily as she made her way through the village. She wasn't bitter that Naruto was being honored as the Hokage today, she was bitter because the villagers drifted away from her as she went to pass them. She actually hoped that with Naruto as the Hokage he'd be able to convince the villagers not to hate her because she wasn't doing as well as she had hoped.

The punch in the stomach really came when she spotted Ino and the blonde woman's family. The girl she considered her best friend purposefully avoided her gaze and ushered her kids away from Sakura, following behind Chōji. Sakura was sure that Ino would say it was Chōji's idea, but she had a sickening feeling that Ino would be lying.

"Sakura-san!" Hinata called out from the front of the crowd. Sakura smiled weakly and made her way over to the dark haired woman.

"Hey, Hinata-san," Sakura said. She felt slightly uncomfortable but equally grateful to be standing with the Hyūga head's. Surrounding her were Hinata, Hiashi, a _very_ pregnant Hanabi and the man she had chosen to marry a year ago.

"It's starting," Hinata said, jumping in glee. Sakura smiled as best as she could. If the Hyūga princess was going to put up a positive front then she would too.

In a moment, the crowd had all but silenced itself as the still current Hokage, Tsunade, made her way to the balcony outside of the Hokage Office and commanded quietness.

"How are you holding up?" Hinata whispered to Sakura, never taking her eyes off of Tsunade. Sakura remained quiet.

"The Hokage," Tsunade said. "A position meant for the strongest ninja in the village! But that's not all. This title is given to the ninja who also cares the most about his people. For who should run this nation but a powerful person who would do everything he could to create peace for his citizens?" Her voice boomed over the crowd. Gaara, Shikamaru, and Temari stood on the balcony with her, the entire town had come and were watching intently.

"With Shikamaru Nara-san as his advisor," Tsunade continued, "I will now present to you, your new Hokage. Come join us Naruto Uzumaki-san."

Naruto entered onto the balcony and walked up to Tsunade.

"Sakura-san… I just wanted to let you know… Naruto and I feel wholeheartedly, that Sasuke _will_ return with Naruna," Hinata again whispered to Sakura. Sakura continued to look on in silence.

Tsunade ushered Naruto closer to the balcony's ledge. She took of her Hokage hat and prepared to present it to the man before her but sand carried the hat off.

Gaara walked forward, lifting the hat from his sand. "Would you mind if I had the honor?" Tsunade smiled and parted from the two so that Gaara could complete the ceremony. "I'm glad I was able to stay for this," the red-head said to the blonde. "I'll have to leave tonight though."

"I understand," Naruto said. "Thank-you though, for helping me during this… time in my life."

Gaara placed the hat atop Naruto's head. "I will always be by your side. I'm sorry your son had to disappear like that…"

With a smirk, Naruto nodded his head and then turned to his people. Their new Hokage, ready to lead and rule them to a better tomorrow.

**xxx**

Love can be such a fickle thing. It rips and tears people apart yet it also brings them closer together. It's reflected in multiple of forms whether it be friendly, romantic, or parental. The love one person has to another can be the strongest yet weakest parts of their bond. After going through the academy as mere acquaintances, my mother, father, and uncle spent barely a year with one another as a squad, yet, after that time, the love they had for one another created a strong bond. It was greater than they could imagine possible. My mother was in love, and Sasuke and Naruto were brothers.

Then, the group was separated for four years in total—two and a half for my mom and uncle—but when push came to shove, any unresolved differences were put aside and the connection they had was stronger than ever.

Yet… at that point in their lives… at the time of Naruto's coronation, a shift was occurring. Time was changing. Friendship… was dying.

Let's show them how long a true friendship can last Hina.

* * *

Reviews and Critiques are welcomed ^^ This is a story I should be continuing, right?

If you ever want to know how the other families are doing as time passes, let me know and I'll see if I can find a way to hint at their livelihood or just include them in a chapter :D

Also, in case you don't get the reference, I'm connecting this chapter to the one-shot I wrote called _Bringing Two Together_ (though there are subtle differences).

**Days: October 15th – November 7th**

**Hina:**

"Hi" from "_Hi_nata" and "na" from "_Na_ruto". Spelled 雛 and means "young bird or chick" which I associate with her blonde hair and talkative nature. Born August 1; she's a Leo.


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